Frosty Relations
by Loopstagirl
Summary: With rescues coming non-stop, tensions are running high. But when something goes wrong, is it too late to melt the frosty relationship between father and son? Happy Birthday Once.A.Queen.Of.Narnia!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Hello again! *waves* I'm back already! This one is for a very special person on her birthday, after she requested a Gordon story! Happy Birthday Once. A. Queen. Of. Narnia! Hope that you like this after everything!**

**Hope that everyone else enjoys as well!**

_1, 2, 3, 4, turn, 4, 3, 2, 1, turn…_

Setting a steady rhythm in his head, Gordon strongly pulled himself through the pool, allowing the water to cascade gracefully over his tanned back. A fierce grin occupied his face as he once more turned, his speed increasing as he eased the aches out of his body. There was no finer way to start the morning, and with waking up stiff because of last night's rescue, Gordon had by-passed breakfast altogether, heading straight for the pool. He would eat when he was done, but the red-head had been so desperate to get swimming that he didn't want to have to wait not only whilst he ate, but then waiting the hour or so afterwards. Knowing his luck, a rescue would come in before he had been able to reach the pool, they had been busy like that recently. Gordon didn't know what it was with the world, but he could have sworn that they co-ordinated their disasters. No sooner were the boys back from one rescue when they were whisked away on another. A couple of times, they hadn't even made it home before they were called to another accident. Things were so bad that their father had even banned Scott from a couple of rescues, giving Alan the chance to pilot One whilst his brother got some rest. Not that that had gone down too well, in the end Jeff had been forced to get Brains to administer a light sedative in order to allow his eldest son the respite he needed after practically collapsing at a rescue. Gordon knew it would only take another couple of rescues before Virgil was in for the same treatment, the two main pilots having been involved with every rescue. Even he and Alan were finding themselves going on more and more, simply as another pair of eyes because the normal pairs were too tired to see properly. As he flipped over once more and sent himself propelling through the water, Gordon couldn't help but wonder what would happen if that was the case. He and Alan could pilot One and Two no problem, they all had the training. No, what Gordon was concerned about was his other blonde brother. John had looked as bad as they all felt when he called through the rescue last night. He may not have been involved as physically as the rest of them, but the astronaut had instead had hours worth of calls coming in, being forced to listen through the more major ones and make a decision about who needed their help more. Physically, John may have been fine, but Gordon couldn't help but wonder whether he was more exhausted mentally than the rest of them put together. And with all hands needed here, they couldn't spare Alan for long enough at the moment to go up and collect him.

"GORDON!"

"Here we go," the aquanaut muttered to himself, tensing his arms as he pulled himself out of the water. He had no idea what was going on this time, but with the whole family being tired and on edge, it wasn't taking a lot to test even Virgil's normally placid temper. This time, however, the yell had come from his father, and judging by the tone of his voice, he was not happy. Reaching casually over with one hand, Gordon plucked his towel from the sun lounger as he strode past, flicking it quickly over himself before draping it around his shoulders. Stepping into the villa, Gordon let his eyes adjust to the change in light before glancing around for his father.

"Dad? Where are you?"

"My office. Now." Groaning, Gordon rolled his eyes as he slowly made his way across the room. If he was being summoned to the office, he was definitely in trouble. Only problem was, the prankster had no idea what it was he had done. He hadn't had any time to plan anything for weeks, the constant rescues meaning he was either off the island or frantically doing maintenance or stock checks on the 'birds, desperately trying to keep them in shape for the ever increasing rescues. If he wasn't doing that, he was either trying to alleviate the tension by swimming, or was sleeping. He had neither the time nor the energy to plan anything else. Pushing the door to the office slowly open with one hand, Gordon was hard pushed not to groan out loud. His father did not look the slightest bit happy.

"Dad? You wanted to see me?" Gordon asked, somewhat tentatively as he cautiously entered the room, perching on the edge of the nearest chair. Not knowing what he was supposed to be guilty of, the red-head didn't know how to play this. Normally, he had a whole line of defence on hand when he had something planned; it was what - if he did say so himself - made him so good.

"I thought you have grown past being irresponsible, Gordon. Especially considering how hard the last few weeks have been on your brothers."

"Hang on!" Gordon interrupted, staring at his father in something that was closely bordering on anger. He had no idea what his father was talking about, and yet was being accused. Not to mention it wasn't just his brothers that the last few weeks had been hard on.

"Whatever is going on had nothing to do with me. Scott and Virgil aren't the only ones suffering here!"

"Scott nearly twisted his ankle because of your prank. Is your job that unimportant that you can endanger your field commander for kicks?"

"Dad!" Gordon yelled, jumping to his feet and glaring at his father. How dare the man sit there and tell him what he thought of his job! It wasn't Scott or Virgil that had been knocked out and nearly drowned in the last rescue. "Whatever is going on here, I swear it has nothing to do with me…"

"Alan said he saw you," Jeff interrupted coolly. He was frankly surprised at Gordon, normally his prankster of a son made sure that the boundary between home life and International Rescue would never be crossed when he planned something. Much as Jeff didn't want to admit it, Gordon was good. This time, however, he had crossed the line.

"Alan's lying then," Gordon shot back, not missing a beat as he stared his father in the eye, willing the man to believe him. Whatever had happened obviously had been dangerous if this was the reaction.

"Who am I supposed to believe, Gordon?" Jeff sighed, wearily sitting back in his chair. He had wondered how long it would take before the tensions came to the surface. The boys argued anyway, they were brothers, after all. But in times of stress, the light hearted teasing tended to get nasty. "You may not have meant anything by it, Gordon, but I know you are stressed, and something like this is right up your street…"

"Dad. Listen to me. It was nothing to do with me!" And so saying, Gordon Tracy turned his back on his father and walked out, knowing the second he did so that that was probably the worst thing he could have done. Jeff had never taken disobedience well, but Gordon found at this particular moment, he didn't care. He would _not _be blamed for this, especially not if one of his brothers had gotten hurt.

"Gordon Cooper Tracy, don't you dare walk out on me when I'm talking to you!" Sighed, Gordon stopped still, taking in a deep breath and squaring his shoulders. Very slowly, he swiveled on the spot, turning to face his absolutely fuming father. Before anything more could be said, however, the klaxon went off, drowning the villa in its distress call.

_Saved by the bell,_ Gordon couldn't help but think, an ironic smile ghosting across his lips. He turned to head towards the lounge, already hearing the thundering footsteps of his brothers, but before he could take another step, a strong hand grasped his upper arm.

"Don't think you have gotten away with this, Gordon," Jeff growled, practically frog-marching his son into the lounge, ignoring the looks his three eldest boys were shooting the pair of them. Wrenching his arm away from his father, Gordon crossed the room, a deep scowl taking place uncharacteristically on his face.

"Three children trapped in a cave," John was reporting, his eyes flickering over the information in front of him as he filled in the rest of the family via his portrait. "The entrance has collapsed, and local authorities can't get there for a few hours, everything is tied up with the forest fire further east."

"The one they were adamant they didn't need our help for?" Virgil muttered darkly, sharing a scowl with Scott. Gordon knew what was going through both of their heads. If the authorities had asked for their help with the fire, not only would it be extinguished by now, there would have also been people on hand to help with the children. For a family of stubborn men, the Tracy boys didn't like stubbornness in anyone else, it made their job harder.

"That's the one," John sighed, his eyes flickering up again to gaze at his brothers apologetically. "Sorry guys, looks like you are needed."

"I'm on my way," Scott mumbled, exhaustion more than evident in his face.

"Scott, wait, are you sure you are up to this? I can send Alan…" Jeff suggested, holding out his arm to stop his eldest son from activating the lamps.

"Alan's not here, I am," Scott responded, shortly, shrugging off his father's hand and sending himself spinning around and out of sight. It was as Scott uttered the words that Gordon noticed for the first time the absence of his kid brother. And with that came the realisation.

_I'm gonna kill him, _Gordon thought darkly, moving simultaneously towards the hidden entrances of Thunderbird Two as Virgil. Just before he disappeared from sight, he caught his father's eye.

"Ask Alan what happened." And so saying, Gordon vanished, not waiting to hear what would no doubt be another angry retort. He didn't get why his father automatically trusted his youngest son over Gordon, Alan was responsible for more than his fair share of pranks, not to mention the amount of times he had helped out Gordon. They weren't known as the Terrible Two for nothing, but this time, Gordon couldn't help thinking bitterly, Alan had let him down. He had attempted to frame his brother. They were supposed to be partners, constantly having each other's back. When things calmed down, Gordon was going to make him pay.

"Oi, Gordon, you with me, bro?" Hearing Virgil's voice snap through his musings, Gordon blinked to find himself already strapped into Thunderbird Two, Virgil with his hands on the controls, but a slightly concerned expression on his face as he watched his younger brother.

"What? Yeah, I'm good."

"Thunderbird Two requesting permission to launch."

"You are clear, Thunderbird Two."

"F.A.B." With a great rumble, the giant green machine was sent slowly forward, the trees moving simultaneously out of the way. As the speed picked up, Gordon braced himself, and within a matter of seconds, Thunderbird Two was climbing. For a few moments, there was silence fell across the command deck as Virgil masterfully brought his baby to her best height before leveling off. As soon as he had done so, however, he unclipped his harness and spun his chair around to face his brother.

"So what went down between you and Dad?"

"None of your business," Gordon muttered tonelessly, leaning back in his chair and shutting his eyes. He was so tired; the last thing he wanted was to be whisked off on another rescue. Not to mention he was annoyed at a certain younger brother. Alan had certainly not picked a good time to try and carry out a prank, especially considering it had nearly gone wrong.

"Come on, Gords, the whole house heard that."

"Really?" Opening one eye, Gordon peered at his brother, wincing slightly as Virgil nodded. He really was hoping that he would have been able to just brush it away, but apparently not.

"What happened to Scott?" Hoping to find out a little more of what he was being blamed for, Gordon opened his other eye, sitting up straighter as Virgil rolled his eyes.

"Trip wire. Was supposed to break and cover him in flour and water, only it didn't and Scott fell over it."

"And does _he_ blame me for that as well?" Gordon asked bitterly, wondering whether he was dealing with an angry older brother as well as a fuming father. Looking slightly astonished, Virgil shook his head.

"Heck no, far too primitive to be you. That had Alan written all over it. There is no way that you would muck up something as simple as a trip wire…wait a moment…." Sitting up slightly straighter, Virgil looked his brother directly in the eye.

"That's what's up between you and Dad? He thinks it was you?"

"Alan apparently saw me," Gordon mumbled, thankfully relieved. He was glad that his brothers at least could tell when credit was due to him or not. Hopefully that would mean their father would be convinced, Gordon was not looking forward to having to face him again otherwise.

"That little tyke," Virgil said, spinning his chair back towards the controls as the instruments started flashing at him. Hitting a button, he found himself face to face with Scott, the pilot's face puckered in concentration.

"I'm at the danger zone, Virg. It doesn't look too bad, the Mole should be enough. I'm trying to patch my way through to the kids, I think fright is going to be our biggest problem."

"F.A.B, Scott. ETA two minus three minutes."

"F.A.B. Virg, did you find out-?"

"Yep. Squealing."

Rolling his eyes, Scott disconnected, leaving a flabbergasted Gordon staring at his brother in astonishment.

"You two are scary, you know that, don't you?"

"What?"

"What the hell were you talking about?" Laughing slightly, Virgil glanced back over his shoulder at the expression on Gordon's face. His red-headed brother didn't seem to realise that he and Alan also often had conversations with neither of them expressing themselves, yet the other knowing precisely what they meant. He and Scott had developed it on rescues, but Virgil could only shudder to think where the Terrible Two had picked it up from.

"I was telling him what happened between you and Dad, he was worried."

"So why didn't you tell him?"

"I did." Virgil responded with a frown, adjusting a few dials as he began the descent. He only hoped that there was somewhere secure for him to park his baby, he didn't like it when he wasn't certain of her safety.

"No you didn't. You said squealing. What is that supposed to mean?"

"That Alan had attempted to set up the prank and then had told Dad it was you, hence why he was so mad at you and why you were so annoyed at him." Blinking, Gordon shook his head in bemusement. How Scott had managed to understand that from just one word was beyond him.

"Like I said, scary."

"Buckle up, kid, we are coming into land." Casting his eyes down, Gordon was now glad that he had never bothered to undo his harness in the first place; their destination had been a lot closer than he had dared hope for. He only wished that meant this whole operation would be a lot quicker than he was anticipating. For although he didn't want to face his father again, Gordon didn't particularly want to be stuck out on another rescue either. Unfortunately for Gordon, however, it was going to be quite a while before he would be able to return home.

TBTBTBTBTB

"But surely Dad believes you as much as he believes Alan?" Virgil asked conversationally, his teeth chattering slightly through the vibrations of the Mole. He and Gordon were aboard, Scott directing their progress from Mobile Control whilst trying to keep the children clear from where they would emerge. By the time his younger siblings had disembarked from Two, the Field Commander had finished setting up, and had been attempting to make contact with the children. Strangely, he hadn't been able to get anything, but rather than cause for concern, Scott was sure it was because the signal was not getting through, rather than the rather darker alternative of there being no one conscious to respond. Not sure what they were expecting to find, the boys knew that they had to get a move on, but progress was somewhat limited by the uncertainty of the rock they were drilling through.

"You'd think," Gordon commented lightly, his eyes glued to the screens monitoring their progress. It may have been up to Scott to direct them, but it was up to the aquanaut to keep them under control. "But apparently… drop back by point two, Virg… apparently somehow Alan has more believability than me."

"You gotta admit, though," Virgil began, his hands instinctively darting around the controls as he followed the instructions coming from both of his brothers. "Alan doesn't lie to Dad as much as you."

"I don't lie to Dad!" Gordon responded, pretending to sound offended, yet knowing that his brother had a point. "I just bend the truth slightly now and again. Hey, if Scott knew it was Alan, how come he hasn't killed him yet? If it _was _me, I would be toast by now."

"Oh don't worry, he'll be toast. Scott just hasn't found the Sprout yet. Alan definitely has better hiding skills than you."

"I'm just too wonderful to stay low," Gordon said with a grin, earning himself a snort of amusement and a disbelieving look from his brother. Strange as it was, stuck in a drill digging towards three terrified children had resulted in Gordon feeling more relaxed than he had all morning. It was nice to simply be able to talk to Virgil; it was not something they had had time for lately. And especially as his older brother held no grievances, unlike some members of their family.

"Whoa, Virg, stop there!" Gordon suddenly declared, rather loudly. In fact, it was much louder than he intended, catching Virgil by surprise and causing him to almost jolt the Mole to a halt in his hurry to respond to the urgency in Gordon's voice. Letting out his breath, Virgil tried to stop the hammering in his chest as he glanced over at his brother, who gave him a sheepish grin in return.

"Sorry."

"Any particular reason you decided to try and deafen me?" Virgil asked sarcastically, checking all his readings and making sure they were secure.

"We are about to go through the top of the cave where the kids are."

"How come Scott didn't stop us?" Frowning at his brother's question, Gordon knew Virgil had a point. Scott had been closely monitoring their progress, making sure they weren't going to run into any weak points in the rock he could detect. Thinking, Gordon suddenly realised he hadn't heard anything from his biggest brother in a while. Glancing towards his watch, he lifted it up to his ear almost at the same time as Virgil. To his astonishment, however, he was getting nothing back but static.

"Brains said it went through anything," Gordon said, his voice lined with confusion. Virgil too was staring at his watch in surprise, but at Gordon's comment, he shot his little brother what he hoped was a reassuring look.

"We've never encountered this type of rock before, maybe there is something in it which scrambles the signal. Uh oh, I know that look. What?"

For as Virgil had been speaking, a sly grin had slipped onto Gordon's face, his eyes dancing mischievously. It was a look like that, however, that instantly had all of the Tracy boys on edge, wondering if they were going to be the next victim of one of his pranks.

"Can you imagine the look on Scott's face the fact we have dropped out of communications?" Unable to stop himself, Virgil let out a bark of laughter before bringing himself back under control. Scott was certainly not going to like that.

"Come on, let's get this over with before he really freaks out."

"We're probably already too late," Gordon commented lightly, unbuckling his harness and stretching his arms above his head as best as he could considering the confined space. Virgil quickly followed suit, and within a matter of moments, the pair of them were geared up. Clipping the oxygen canister to his belt, Gordon followed Virgil out of the Mole, all joking aside as the boys turned their full attention to the task ahead. Almost casually tossing his younger sibling what looked like a normal drill, Virgil indicated where Gordon should start digging. The measurements known about the cave meant they could not use the Mole to break through, it was too shallow and the chances of hurting – or worse – one of the children was too great. Instead, they would have to do this last bit by hand.

"Fancy turning up the temperature?" Gordon muttered as he activated the device held in his hand, the whirring motors sending shudders up his arms. There could be no denying the penetrating cold that had infiltrated the caves, seeping into the two members of International Rescue and causing them to shiver despite the warmth of their uniforms. Virgil didn't answer him, but Gordon was not surprised. His brother often became silent when working, a direct contrast to Gordon's need to break any silence.

The silence continued for a few more moments, the whir of machinery signaling their progress to such an extent that words were no longer needed. Feeling the tension below his drill suddenly change, Gordon immediately switched the machine off, testing the ground with his foot.

"Virg, I'm through." Without wasting a second, Virgil was by his brother's side, crouching down to test the ground himself. Shooting his younger sibling a grin, he carefully placed his own equipment behind him, out of the way.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? This is International Rescue."

"I _told_ you they were coming." An obstinate voice suddenly declared from somewhere beneath the two brothers, causing them to share grins. At least one of the children was no doubt fine.

"That's right, we are coming. We just need you to hang on a little longer. Is anyone hurt?"

"Bobby banged his head," the voice yelled back up, trembling ever so slightly. It was a young girl, Gordon reckoned she couldn't be older than nine at the oldest.

"Is he still awake?" The red-head called back, now more than glad he had accompanied Virgil down with the Mole. All of the brothers were good with any type of rescue, but when it came to children, there could be no denying who was the best. With his constant cheerfulness, Gordon had always managed to calm the most hysterical of them down. His brothers' didn't understand how he did it, much to Scott's frustration. After almost single handedly raising all four of his brothers at one point, he had always claimed that he could control children. Gordon, however, didn't know how he did it. He just thought they were a lot easier to calm than adults. A couple of bad jokes and they would be as good as gold.

"Yeah. He says he's sleepy though."

"I need you to keep him awake for me, honey," Gordon called back, climbing into the harness Virgil was holding out as he spoke. The artist had already hooked everything up, all Gordon had to do was carefully work his way through the rock. It was so much easier doing it by hand, the drills weren't able to stop the rocks falling, and not knowing where the children were, it was too much of a risk. Taking the hand drill from his brother, Gordon nodded that his was ready, and ever so slowly, Virgil began feeding him some slack. Placing the edge of the drill against the floor, Gordon lowered himself into a crouch and carefully began turning the handle, manually working his way through the rock.

It wasn't long before the red-head had broken through, and was now swinging from the harness, Virgil lowering him down.

"Reckon we could have some light down here?" Gordon called up through the opening, being careful not to call Virgil by his name. This was the one thing that he hated on rescues, especially when they were hard ones. The boys simply had to de-personalise themselves, something that was not easy considering their strong relations. Virgil immediately responded to his brother's query, passing down some glow tubes. Snapping them in order to release the light, Gordon dropped them below him, thankful he was now not just relying on the light from his helmet.

"Hey, kids, there you are," he called down cheerfully, the light revealing three shapes huddled against the back wall of the cave. Covered in dirt, Gordon could see even from where he was still dangling that despite being covered in small scrapes, they were relatively unharmed. Craning his neck back, the aquanaut could just make out what had been the cave above, wincing when he realised how far the children must have fallen. Letting himself free fall the last part, Gordon dropped lightly to his feet before unclipping himself from the harness.

"Ready to get out of here? Which one of you guys is Bobby?" Striding over to them, Gordon made sure he had his "rescue" smile fixed onto his face. It would do no good for the children to realise that this was going to be a tricky rescue. Gordon knew he would have to send them up one by one to Virgil on the rope. His brother would then have to somehow fit everyone in the Mole, which was going to be tricky, and then make his way up to the surface without running into anymore weaker points on the rock, especially if they were going blind without Scott's assistance.

"This is Bobby," the little girl said, the trembles in her voice more apparent as she pointed to the younger boy on her right hand side. "And this is Johnny." His smile becoming more genuine as she pointed to the boy on her left, Gordon crouched down beside them.

"I know a Johnny," he told the child softly, wincing as he realised that the boy could be no older than about four, clutching to the girl's dress like it was his lifeline. "And he's really brave. Do you think you can be too, buddy?"

Tentatively, the boy nodded, his hold on his friend slowly loosening. Smiling fondly at him, Gordon then turned his attention to the other boy, making sure his face didn't show his worry when he caught sight of the bloody gash on his head. Pulling a makeshift bandage out of one of his many pockets, Gordon smiled at him.

"Do you fancy wearing a hat, Bobby?" To his dismay, however, the boy shook his head, the movement obviously causing him pain as tears filled his eyes and his lower lip trembled.

_Time to be the hero_ Gordon told himself, inching closer to the child.

"Ok, if you don't want a hat, how about a bandana? Then you'll look like a pirate, and that would just be really cool. Do you like pirates, Bobby? I do. They are awesome."

Wondering what on earth he was babbling about, Gordon continued to inch closer to the child, a rush of relief washing over him as Bobby finally let him tie the bandage over his head. Making sure to tilt it so that it covered one eye like an eye-patch, Gordon grinned widely at the small smile the boy offered him.

"Oooh argh," he drawled, sparing a glance over his shoulder towards where the rope was swinging, wondering if he was going to be able to get the children to hold on.

"Now, sweetheart, you never told me your name." Turning back towards the girl, Gordon smiled reassuringly at her. She was obviously trying to be brave for the younger two, and seeing a slight resemblance in their eyes, Gordon wondered whether they were siblings. Knowing what he and his brothers were like when it came to protecting each other, Gordon wondered whether that was going to make his job easier or harder. One thing he did know, however, was that whenever one of them were hurt, the others let the Tracy stubbornness come to the surface, refusing to do anything that didn't involve helping whoever it was. It drove their father mad at times. It had always been joked that Scott was the worst, closely followed by Virgil, but Gordon knew they were all as bad as each other in reality. Those two just showed it slightly more than their siblings.

"Dee," the girl whispered, her anxious eyes keeping a close eye on the boys. _Definitely siblings _Gordon thought, smiling softly at her.

"That's a pretty name. Are you ready to get out of here, Dee?" Mutely nodding, the girl was unable to hide the relief in her eyes. With the way she was acting, Gordon was forcible reminded of Scott. Her protection, whilst not necessarily through actions, was more than apparent in her body language.

"Wait right there," Gordon commented lightly, giving Bobby a wink as he stood back up and almost casually strolled over to the hole in the ceiling.

"Yo, dude!" Determined to keep his voice friendly and so not worry them any further, Gordon grinned cheekily up at his big brother as Virgil glared down at him.

"Fancy sending me three harnesses? Two 2's and a 3 should do it." His sizes delivered, Gordon shook his head at the questioning glance Virgil sent him, relaying to his brother that they would be alright to be strapped on. It was amazing how much the Tracy boys could say without ever opening their mouths.

"Now, Bobby, you are a pirate. How do you fancy climbing the riggings then?" Despite his tone, Gordon could instantly see the fright jump back into his eyes as he regarded the rope with trepidation. As Bobby glanced towards Dee, clearly intending to seek her advice about what he should do, Gordon caught her eye first. Smiling reassuringly, he tried to tell her without using words that the rope was their way out of here, and as their big sister, she was the only one that had the power to get the boys up it. If necessary, Gordon would simply clip them on, leaving no room for arguments, but that tended to meant Virgil was then left to calm them down again, not one of his brother's specialties, that was for sure.

"But it's so high," Bobby squeaked, his small hands clutching at Dee as Johnny gave out a little whimper. Sitting down, Dee pulled her brothers down with her.

"Bobby, you know you promised Mom when Johnny was born that you would watch out for him?" As Bobby tentatively nodded, Gordon found his face splitting into a wide smile. He should have known the Tracy's would one day meet their match when it came to bonds within a family, and watching the girl whisper how Bobby had to go up first in order to help Johnny, Gordon knew they may have just found it.

"Come on then, Bobby, let's get you up. My mate's up there, he is going to give you a hand, alright pirate?"

"Argh," Bobby mumbled, somewhat half heartedly as Gordon led him over to the rope and strapped him into one of the harnesses Virgil had thrown down.

Ten minutes later, and Gordon only had Dee left to get up the rope. Leading her over to it, the red-head suddenly froze, years of training meant his instincts were telling him that something was wrong long before the ground gave a shudder. Glancing up frantically, Gordon scooped Dee up around her middle, pulling her sharply away as a few lose rocks began to tumble. Loosening his grip and giving her a quick hug of reassurance, Gordon slipped off his helmet and planted it over the little girl's head, trying to make her –as well as himself - laugh as it slipped down over her eyes.

"What's happening?" She whispered softly, fright making her clutch at Gordon for once. Now that the boys were out of harm's way, the child was becoming just that… a child.

"Nothing we need to worry about," Gordon responded casually, his eyes flickering over her head to where the rocks were still falling. There was no way he could send her up the rope with things that unstable, they would just have to wait a bit longer. He could already hear Virgil moving around frantically above them, knew that it wouldn't be long until they were safely out of the cave. Noticing Dee give a little shiver, Gordon set her on her feet again before pulling his arms out of his jacket and draping it around her. It completely swamped the little girl, but the shivering immediately ceased. Exposed, Gordon couldn't believe the children had gone this long, the cave was freezing.

"Mister?"

"What's wrong, honey?"

"I'm scared. I promised Mom I'd look after them."

"And you have, Dee," Gordon quickly reassured, pulling her back onto his lap. "They are both up there safe because of you. And in a little while you'll be able to tell your Mom how well you have done."

"I shouldn't have let them in the cave." Sensing the tears coming, Gordon quickly wracked his brain for something that would keep her calm. Despite his words, he was worried. He had seen the light signals coming through the hole from Virgil, knew what his brother was trying to tell him without using words. They were running out of time, the roof of the cave was once more coming down.

"How old are you, Dee?"

"Eight and three months," the little girl declared proudly, making Gordon chuckle to himself. He had forgotten how much those extra months meant when you were that age.

"Do you want to know a secret, since you are so grown up?" At her nod, Gordon couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lit up about knowing something about the mysterious man who was in the process of saving her.

"When I was not much older than you, I nearly left my little brother on the bus." For a moment, there was a stunned silence as the child tried to contemplate how anyone could forget their younger siblings, but eventually, a muffled snort of laughter forced its way out.

"Was your mommy really angry?" Sighing, Gordon tightened his grip around her. He knew that wasn't the best example to give her.

"No," he said softly, remembering how frantic Scott had been when catching sight of Gordon, but no Alan. He wished his mother had been there to be angry. "I knew that she was watching over him, and is still doing so now, even if she isn't directly with us."

"My mommy always says things like that too," Dee mumbled, snuggling further into the jacket before yawning suddenly, the warmth and comfort making her feel how long she had been stuck down this hole. Glad that she was too young to properly understand the meaning of his words, Gordon smiled sadly. It was one of the last things his mother had ever said to him, that she would always be watching over him. Sniffing suddenly, Gordon glanced once more towards the ceiling, climbing to his feet with Dee balanced on his hip when he caught sight of the rocks. All was still.

"Come on then, young lady, time to get you back to your brothers." With swift hands, Gordon quickly attached the last harness onto the rope, swinging Dee into it. Tugging sharply on the line, Gordon signalled to his brother that he was ready, and as he watched, Dee was carefully hoisted up through the hole. For the first time, Gordon was glad that he had dropped the glow lights down, for with taking his helmet, Dee had also taken his strong torch, something he hadn't noticed how much he had been relying on. Hugging himself to try and keep warm, Gordon bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet, waiting for Virgil to give him the all clear to hoist himself up. He may not have been in the cave that long, but it was already starting to give him the shudders.

"Gordon, move!" Hearing Virgil's yell, Gordon reacted instinctively; knowing that his brother wouldn't chose to use his name unless it was something urgent. Throwing himself backwards, the prankster could only watch in horror as the rocks came flying down once more. Trying to back away from the hole, Gordon attempted to find somewhere a bit more protected as the rocks continued to rain down, now wishing that he hadn't given his helmet to Dee. As one caught him on the back, Gordon gave a hiss of pain, the contact flaring up the old aches as he was driven forward.

"Gordon!" Hearing Virgil's frantic scream, Gordon peered up through the dust, coughing in an attempt to clear his lungs. He could no longer hear his brother. He could no longer hear anything that was going on above him, for the hole had been filled in once more, the rope that was supposed to be now swinging him to safety lying in a heap by his feet. As the rocks continued to fall, Gordon mildly wondered how he was going to get himself out of this one, before something solid struck him on the side of his temple and he wondered no more, falling instead into the blackness.

**Aha, the cliffhangers are back! More coming soon, promise! What did you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews on this so far, it has really meant a lot to me. I thought I would give you an update as soon as I could, especially after the demands I get back here and save Gordon. Well, I'm back, but can't quite guarantee the second part of that request!**

Feeling the sharp tug on the rope, Virgil smiled as he began to reel the line in, knowing by the weight that the last of the children was now being pulled to safety. Gordon had done a good job, both of the boys had been singing his praises as Virgil pulled them from the hole. Frowning momentarily as his brother's helmet came into view, Virgil felt his smile widening at the little girl. The helmet was practically down to her nose, and the very familiar jacket she was wrapped in came down to her knees. Typical Gordon, the children would have always come first.

"Hey there, missy," Virgil called over lightly, securing the rope before picking his way across the unstable floor. Reaching out with one hand, he casually swung her across to him, unclipping her from the harness and gently lowering her to the ground.

"How about we get out of here?"

"Not without him," Dee responded stubbornly, jerking her thumb back towards the hole and causing Virgil to grin. Looked like Gordon had a new admirer.

"Nope, not without him. Let's pull him up then, shall we?" As Dee enthusiastically nodded and scurried back over to Virgil's side, the artist prepared to give his brother the signal to hook himself up. Opening his mouth, Virgil froze when an ominous sound filled the air. His heart suddenly racing, Virgil knew what that meant.

"Gordon, move!" Immediately shielding Dee with his own body, Virgil winced as a few of the rocks bounced off him, one clattering particularly loudly off his helmet. Glancing down, the young man caught sight of a pair of frightened eyes gazing back at him and decided to take a risk. Scooping Dee up, Virgil edged along carefully, making sure the little girl was shielded from any falling rocks. Reaching the Mole, he frantically opened the door, practically dumping her in with her brothers before snapping it shut again, sighing in relief with the knowledge that the children were safe. As the rocks continued to rain down, Virgil ran as quickly as he could, slipping slightly on the unstable ground. Throwing himself down by the hole, Virgil felt his heart sink. It was at least half the size it had been.

"Gordon!" Straining his ears, Virgil desperately tried to listen for a reply, but as he was doing so, something big crashed down behind him. Gasping as pain suddenly flared up his leg, Virgil pulled away from the hole, gazing at the crimson stream trickling down his left leg in something that could resemble bewilderment. The move backwards, however, had just saved his life as a huge boulder came crashing down, in the exact spot his head had been only seconds before.

"No! No, no, no! Gordon!" This time, however, Virgil knew that yelling wasn't going to be enough. The hole was once again blocked; the tools they had been using either trapped underneath or smashed by the rock fall. His brother was stuck below, and Virgil had no idea how to get to him. Automatically raising his wrist, Virgil swore violently at the static echoing back out at him. Not only had he no way of contacting Scott on the surface and requesting immediate assistance, he had no way of communicating with the brother directly younger than him. Pushing unwanted thoughts from his mind, Virgil refused to think that it also meant he had no way of making sure Gordon was still alive.

"Think, Virgil, think!" Cursing angrily to himself, Virgil found that he was unable to think of what to do, instead just gazing in horror at the non-existent hole in front of him. This should have been a straight forward rescue, nothing was meant to go wrong. Not like this. Not to Gordon, at least. The kid had suffered enough, and whilst he knew that his brothers' didn't know about it, Virgil knew what Gordon was scared of. It was sort of ironic considering he was fine in the enclosed space of Thunderbird Four, but Gordon was claustrophobic. Only mildly, Virgil knew that if he was either under the water or with someone, he had a good strong hold on his fright. Whilst it only happened on land, Virgil had no idea, but apparently Gordon just felt safe in the water, no matter what the circumstances. But trapped in a cave like that, especially with the dim light the glow sticks just about managed to give out, Virgil knew Gordon would be doing everything he could not to panic.

Hearing a small noise, Virgil looked round to see three anxious faces peering out of the Mole back at him, Dee's wide with fright. His head clearing slightly, Virgil knew in that instant what he had to do. He had to get the children to safety. There was nothing he could do for Gordon without returning to the surface, he had no tools here that he could use without running every risk of killing his brother. There was no way the ground was stable enough to send the Mole through, it was more likely to bring down the entire mountain than save Gordon. Besides, Virgil couldn't help but think somewhat bitterly as he pushed himself to his feet, testing his leg as he hobbled towards the Mole, he knew what Gordon would want him to do. His brother would want the children taken to safety before Virgil attempted any strange rescue operations.

Letting himself into the vehicle, Virgil attempted to smile at the children, knowing that they were probably beyond frightened, but found that it was coming out as more of a grimace than any gesture of reassurance. If he was completely honest with himself, Virgil didn't care. He didn't see why he had to be the one acting like everything was alright when it was far from it. They had come down to rescue the kids. And that they had done. But as he slammed the Mole into reverse and set the speed higher than he knew was strictly advised, Virgil couldn't help but wonder darkly whether it had cost them one of their own.

TBTBTBTB

Watching the great hulk of Thundebird Two take gracefully off, Jeff sighed. He knew he should have tried to make amends with Gordon before he had left, rescues were dangerous enough as it was, but his son hadn't given him the chance. Scott was already a blur on the horizon and with the boys safely away, John had turned back to whatever it was he was doing before the call had come through. Knowing that he was only keeping the channels open in case he was needed throughout the rescue, Jeff let him be. The last few weeks had been stressful enough for them all as it was, if his son was not in a chatty mood, then his father certainly wasn't going to make him talk. Running a hand through his hair and sighing deeply, Jeff found himself gazing out to sea, not looking at anything in particular, just allowing his mind a moment of rest before the boys reached the danger zone. After that, he knew he wouldn't be able to switch off, the adrenaline and worry normally meant he was barely able to sit still, let alone let his mind drift.

"Dad? The guys gone?" Hearing a slightly quiet voice, Jeff turned in surprise to see Alan poking his head almost cautiously around the door, his eyes scanning the room. It was obvious that he was making sure none of his brothers were present, and on seeing the coast was clear, he stepped through. Thinking about Gordon's last words, Jeff frowned at his youngest son.

"Alan, why do I get the feeling that you weren't being honest with me about the prank?" Sighing again when Alan suddenly looked guilty, Jeff moved behind his desk. "Sit."

Alan obeyed, and soon found himself under the close scrutiny of his father, causing the teenager to shift uncomfortably. Alan may be able to deceive his father, but unlike his immediate older brother, Jeff knew that his youngest son didn't have the same ability as the normal prankster to cover his tracks as well. Gordon would take the accusation without blinking, yet Alan clearly had something to hide. Wondering whether just this once, Gordon may have been telling the truth, Jeff fixed his son with a look Alan knew not to cross.

"I'm going to ask you this once, Alan. Did you set the prank up outside Scott's door?" Hesitantly, Alan lifted his gaze, only meeting his father's eyes momentarily before dropping it again. Not trusting his voice, he mutely nodded.

"Did you cause Scott to trip over and hurt his ankle?"

"It wasn't supposed too-…"

"Did you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And did you then try and blame it on your brother?" Not looking his father in the eye, Alan kept his head down, but Jeff still caught sight of the grin that flickered momentarily across his youngest's face.

"Alan."

Noting the warning tone in his father's voice, Alan finally looked up.

"Yes. But it worked, didn't it?"

"Alan!"

"Dad, it was a joke!" Alan protested, rather loudly. His eyes flickering up, John momentarily surveyed the scene in front of him before rolling his eyes, turning away to check on his brothers' progress. Typical Alan. He had to pick the wrong time to try something. The kid tried, no one could fault him that, but he was exhausted, and had obviously tried to alleviate the tension. Unfortunately for him, it looked like it was going wrong.

"Alan, I thought you were responsible enough to be a member of this team."

"Wha-? Dad, I am! Gordon does this all the time and he gets away with it."

"No son, he does not _get away with it._ Hence why your brother just had a yelling match with me. And besides, Gordon puts safety first."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Despite himself, John found his chair swiveling back towards the lounge. He hadn't heard his father and youngest brother argue like this for some time, and wanted to make sure he was around to stop things from escalating.

"Scott nearly twisted his ankle, Alan. And that was lucky. Considering where you placed it, what if his reactions weren't so good? What if he had fallen down the stairs?"

"Dad, I-,"

"You need to grow up, Alan."

"What do you care?" Alan suddenly yelled, causing the only other brother present to moan. They had all thought Alan had grown past this, but considering how tired they all were, looked like the kid was as stressed as them all. John knew everyone needed to vent their emotions, but a clash between father and son was not what was needed now. Especially as the other guys had just reached the rescue site, Scott contacting John up on Five to report because his father had ignored the intercom.

"Dad, Scott's reporting in…"

"Watch your mouth, Alan Tracy."

"…Virg and Gords have just reached the danger zone, they are taking the Mole down…"

"You only care because your Field Commander might get hurt, not your son."

"How dare you!"

"…they are drilling in now…oh." Falling quiet, John suddenly realised that his last report had fallen into silence, his brother and father glaring at each other from across the room.

"Erm, Dad…" His voice somewhat uncertain, John decided now was a good time to remind his father that three out of his five sons were out on a rescue, one that needed his attention rather than him yelling at the only son remaining on the island. Although judging by the look on Alan's face, he would rather be anywhere but.

"Go ahead, John," Jeff ordered, making the elder of his blond's wince as the younger looked sulkily the other way.

"One and Two have touched down. Mobile Control is established, Scott has attempted to make contact with the island but…" Swallowing, John hastily pushed on, not wanting to remind his father why he had ignored the signal coming in from his first born. "Virgil and Gordon have taken the Mole down, Scott is guiding them down towards the children… wait a minute, Scott is trying to get through."

"Go ahead, Scott," Jeff commanded, finally flicking the switch and allowing Scott's portrait to morph into the real thing. Opening his mouth, the eldest paused for a moment when he caught sight of Alan's position, but quickly reverted his attention back to his father.

"Dad, I've lost contact with them!"

"You've what?" Jeff and John both yelped at the same time, John immediately turning his attention back to the vast and complicated machinery in front of him.

"What happened? Are they hurt? When was the last time you heard from them?"

"I think they are alright," Scott said softly, although his knuckles gave away his true feelings as they turned white from the force being used to clench them together. "One moment they were drilling through, the next… static."

"The Mole is still active, Scott," John said softly, flicking a final switch and sitting back in relief. He could track his brothers' progress from up in Five. Whatever it was that was interfering with the communications, however, was obviously coming from the mountain range the pair of them were attempting to drill through, he was getting no more response from them than Scott was. The fact that he was having this conversation with his only older brother in the first place proved that it certainly wasn't a common error.

"So why have they dropped out of communications? Is this Gordon?"

"No," Jeff responded sharply, his eyes flickering momentarily onto the hunched up form of his youngest son. "Gordon knows not to muck around in rescues; he wouldn't do something like that."

Following his father's gaze, Scott instantly knew that Jeff had worked out who was really responsible for this morning's prank, and judging by the way Alan was sitting, had let him have it both barrels blazing.

"Dad, what do I do?" Scott asked softly, causing Jeff's features to soften as he took in the worried expression on his son's face. No wonder Scott was worried, he was used to taking charge, directing his brothers' every move. Having them out of contact was no doubt driving him mad.

"You wait, Scott. There is nothing you can do, it's not as if you can go down after them, and you know how quickly Virgil works, he'll have everyone back up in no time. They are probably just as worried about the lack of communications as you are; they are having to drill blindly, after all."

"Dad, what if they hit something? I was having to guide them through it as it was…"

"Scott, breathe!" John suddenly barked out, stopping his brother before the usually calm field commander got carried away. For being in charge, Scott certainly didn't know when to keep calm.

"Wait… wait… yes!"

"Son?" Jeff asked quizzically, trading amused looks with his second oldest son as Scott yelped in delight. Something about this rescue was throwing Scott, that was for sure. He certainly was not acting like himself. Watching him pound something into Mobile Control, Jeff frowned slightly as his eyes fell on the instrument. It was shaking slightly. And that could only mean…

"Dad, I've got to go, the Mole has just surfaced. Mobile Control out."

"F.A.B, Scott." As Scott disconnecting, Jeff slowly turned his attention back to his youngest son. Alan was curled up on the settee, looking miserable. Although the look – as always – clenched at Jeff's heart, he was not going to let Alan get away with this. It wouldn't normally be this bad, but Jeff couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty about the way he had yelled at Gordon, prepared to accept Alan's word, but not that of his immediate older brother's.

"Alan?"

"What?"

"Alan, when this rescue is over, I want you to take over on Five."

"Dad!" The outraged shout, however, didn't just come from Alan. John was also staring at his father in horror, his eyes pleading with the man to change his mind. He knew things were frantic, and despite knowing Alan was more than trained, John knew the boys were all in their correct positions. He was handling the influx of calls, he had a system set up. If Alan was to come up now, John wasn't sure his youngest brother would be able to cope.

"No boys, I'm serious. You need time to think about the responsibility of your actions, Alan, and John, you need time at home. A change of scenery will do you both good."

Silence fell once more across the lounge, but this time, it was not just Alan who was sulking. John also had something that could resemble a pout on his face as he spun his chair back, going back to monitoring Virgil's progress in the Mole. He was expecting Scott to make contact any second now, for the Mole had once more surfaced.

TBTBTBTBTBTBT

Flicking switches frantically, Scott was unable to stop the relief showing on his face as the Mole surfaced, the hum coming from his watch alerting him to the fact he had once again regained contact with his brothers. He couldn't remember the last time his heart had thudded that hardly on hearing nothing back from his younger siblings, only a buzz coming from his watch that could mean anything.

"Thank god!" Hearing the relieved shout, Scott turned in time to see the mother of the missing children hurry out from a hastily constructed tent, her hand covering her mouth as she watched the giant of a machine come to a standstill.

"Ma'am, do you think you could wait here? Your children will be over as soon as they can, but we can't risk you getting hurt before the machine is shut down."

"Yes, yes, thank you! Thank god, my babies are safe! Simon, Simon, look, the children!" And it was as her husband came out of the tent that Scott heard the tell tale noise of the door being lifted on the Mole.

"Momma!" And no matter Scott's quick reaction, he was unable to stop the woman from sprinting across the unstable ground. The Field Commander wasn't too worried though, he knew by the fact that the children had got out that everything was powered down. It was safe, and so were the children. Unable to hide his smile, Scott turned back to Mobile Control, ready to inform the rest of the family that the boys would be heading home soon. As he turned, however, a movement caught his eye.

Frowning, Scott squinted towards the Mole, watching as Virgil jumped down. He paused long enough to make sure the door was secure before sprinting full speed towards Thunderbird Two. Turning to face him further, Scott only felt his frown deepen as his brother disappeared into the depth of his baby, re-emerging several minutes later, heading straight back towards the Mole, no intention of coming to see his older brother. Not only that, but he hadn't even made sure that the children had reached their mother safely, something that was definitely not like the artist.

"Something's wrong," Scott muttered to himself, trying to ignore the cold feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He had been out with his brothers' too many times; he knew when something hadn't gone right. As Virgil went flying across to the Mole again, Scott suddenly realised what it was. Gordon was nowhere to be seen.

"No! Virgil!" Yelling for his brother, Scott had halved the distance between the pair of them before Virgil half turned. One glance at his brother's face, and Scott knew that his suspicions were right. Shooting across the ground, it was almost as if the pilot's feet didn't touch the floor until he skidded to a stop next to Virgil.

"Gordon?"

"The roof caved in, he's stuck where the children are. We've lost all equipment, but the Mole can't get through, it is too shallow." Scott could tell by the tone of Virgil's voice that the artist was desperately trying to hold it together. His voice was flat, toneless even, but his big brother knew him better than that. He knew that was Virgil's way of preventing himself from completely freaking out, knowing that was not going to help him get Gordon out.

"Can we take the Mole back down?" Scott asked, trying frantically to mimic his brother and keep a lid on his emotions. It was hard though, every instinct was yelling at him to simply throw himself head first down the hole in order to reach his brother.

Mutely, Virgil shook his head, his eyes expressing what his voice could not.

"Scott…"

"I know, Virg, don't worry, we'll get him out."

"How?" Frowning at the helplessness in Virgil's voice, Scott turned to properly face his younger brother.

"Virgil, we are not just going to stand here because we think it is hard. Gordon is down there, and he needs our help. Are you with me or do I have to do this alone?"

"How can you even ask that, Scott?" Virgil snapped, his emotions returning full force as he glared at his brother. He didn't even know how the thought could even cross his field commander's mind, but to his surprise, Scott simply grinned at Virgil's response. Albeit a smile that never reached his eyes.

"That's more like it, Virg. Get the ropes and harnesses from Two."

"Already got it." Virgil responded simply, gesturing to the bundle of equipment he had grabbed from his baby. He didn't have a clue what Scott had in mind, didn't even know what he had been thinking when he grabbed them, only knew that he had to be doing something that would reunite him with his immediate younger brother.

"Then let's go." And with that, the two brothers immediately began setting up the equipment, securing the ropes to the Mole before positioning the machine to enable maximum slack. If they couldn't take the Mole down itself, the pair were simply going to use it as an anchor to allow them access to the dark hole beyond. After all, their brother was down there, and a Tracy didn't simply give up because it was a challenge.

TBTBTB

Uttering a soft groan, Gordon slowly peeled his eyes open, wincing as the pounding in his head intensified. Forcing himself into a sitting position, the aquanaut took in a deep breath in order to try and steady himself, only to immediately regret it as he simply inhaled the dust that was now floating around the cave after the rock fall. Peering blearily up towards the roof, Gordon knew without having to look that the hole would no longer be there, the fact he was still sitting in the cave proving testimony to that. If there was anyway Virgil could have got him out, the red-head knew his brother well enough to know that he would have already done so.

Gingerly lifting a hand, Gordon pressed it softly to the side of his head, grimacing when he felt the sticky substance underneath his fingers. He didn't particularly want to be stuck _and _bleeding, that was just a nuisance. A few moments later, however, and he was joining Bobby in wearing a bandana, his sash awkwardly tied around his head. He didn't particularly care what he looked like, but Gordon knew that he had to do something to stem the bleeding; Virgil would kill him otherwise, having insisted that they all had an extensive medical knowledge. Thinking about his brother, Gordon couldn't help but wince again as he forced himself to his feet. The artist would probably be going frantic by now, but what would be even worse was the other older brother taking part on this rescue. If Gordon thought Virgil was going to be bad, he was not looking forward to the smothering he knew was coming from Scott. It wasn't as if it was his fault the cave had decided to collapse on him.

Finally straightening up, Gordon found he had to lean a hand on the cave wall in order to keep himself upright, his legs seemed to be doing a very good impersonation of jelly, they simply did not want to support his weight. As he rested for a moment against the rock, Gordon refused to allow himself to think about where he was, didn't want to consider the fact he was stuck in a tiny cave with no way in or out, plus a very unstable roof above him that seemed to have a tendency to suddenly collapse. Instead, forcing the panicking thoughts aside, he focused on just how cold the cave was. The hole the two brothers had made had allowed some of the heat from the Mole's engines to filter through, giving the cave a slight warmth. Now, however, only surrounded by rock, Gordon felt the chill seep into him, causing him to shudder and automatically move to tighten his jacket around him, only to have his fingers close in mid-air. Now thoroughly annoyed at himself for giving the item to Dee, the prankster found himself swallowing hard.

"It's fine," he muttered quietly, not liking the way his voice bounced around the cave and echoed back at him, it was too much of a reminder of just how little space he had. The alternative, however, was the silence, and never having been one to feel comfortable in silence, Gordon knew he had to make some sort of noise or he would just go mad. It was in this situation, Gordon couldn't help but think bitterly, that he fully understood the saying of being stuck between the devil and the deep. Although, considering how used he was to plummeting to the depths of the ocean, he knew full well which one he would prefer.

"Virgil will get Scotty, they'll both come and get you out, then Scott will have a massive go at you for putting yourself in harm's way despite the fact there is nothing you could have done and then they will both flap around for a while. All is fine."

As the last of his words echoed back at him, Gordon suddenly became aware of how _far _from fine things were. He could feel his heart racing under his shirt, the muscle desperately trying to remind him of why he didn't like spaces like this. He had no idea why he was so fine whenever he was in Four, that should have been one of his worst nightmares. And yet, somehow, having the water swirling around him had always given him a sense of security, the vastness of it, instead of making him realise how limited his space was, instead made him feel part of something bigger. However, it was only water that managed that effect, hence why he avoided Five as much as he could. He knew Virgil was aware of his fright, the pair of them had been stuck in a cellar after the door caved in for a few hours before, and the usually laid back brother had, embarrassingly, found himself freaking out. This time, however, as he shivered again, Gordon knew that he would have to rely on Virgil once more. Not to reassure him that everything was going to be alright, but simply to get him out.

Sinking back down the wall, Gordon pulled his knees into his chest, hugging his arms around them as he did so in a desperate attempt to conserve a little of his warmth. He was sure it was getting colder and colder, the rocks seemed to leak a chill that was penetrating the red-head, causing his shudders to become more violent. Curled up against the wall, Gordon knew it wasn't just the cold making him shiver, however. The rocks seemed to be pressing in on him, making the space feel even smaller than before, and still decreasing. Sensing his breathing begin to quicken, Gordon gave himself a mental shake.

"Pull yourself together, Tracy. You are a member of International Rescue, you can do this. The others are coming." Shivering once more, Gordon desperately tried to stop the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. This was ridiculous. He could survive being underwater for an entire year, he had even managed to survive a month on Five when duty called, although only Virgil knew how shaken up he was when returning to the island. Only this time, Gordon felt as if he was just a child again, stuck in the closet after trying to reach something and yelling desperately for his dad to come and save him. When Jeff had heard the calls nearly an hour later and opened the door to find a tear-stricken face looking back up at him, he had no idea that fifteen years later, Gordon would still be suffering from it.

Resting his chin atop his knees, Gordon groaned when he thought about his dad. His father was probably going to be even angrier at him now he had managed to find trouble yet again. The red-head was sure that he was a magnet for it, ever since he could remember he was the one being yelled at. Nine times out of ten, it was his own fault, but Gordon couldn't help but feel thoroughly annoyed on the odd occasion it wasn't. It was no fun when no one believed that it wasn't your fault. Wondering if being stuck in a cave was perhaps a good way of escaping from Jeff's annoyance, Gordon shivered again, more violently this time. He could only remember one time he had felt this cold, and that was when he had persuaded Alan to sneak out into the snow with him. He can't have been more than ten at the time, yet knew there was nothing as warming as a blanket, a fire and his grandmother's hot chocolate, even if a scolding had accompanied it. What would he give for any of those things right now?

"Come on guys, where are you?" Gordon muttered, his teeth beginning to chatter as he hugged his legs even tighter to his body. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but Gordon was scared. He had faced death before, they all had. But the fourth son of Jeff Tracy had come closer than any of them, trapped in the sanctuary of his own mind for what felt like an eternity whilst waiting for his body to respond. He felt like that now, trapped in the cave with no escape.

"For God's sake, Gordon, stop it!" Scolding himself, Gordon pulled himself to his feet, pausing for a moment for the world to stop spinning. Beginning to pace the cave, Gordon used what little light the glow sticks were giving out to stop him tripping over anything. He knew that once he started moving and got the blood flowing again, he would begin to warm up. He just hoped that that was sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately for Gordon, however, the world was not on his side today. He had been pacing no more than about ten minutes when something suddenly flickered. Spinning around sharply, his gaze landed on the nearest glow stick, and Gordon thought his heart was going to leap out of his mouth.

"NO!" No sooner had he uttered it, however, that the glow sticks gave out, simultaneously. Plunged into sudden blackness, Gordon felt his stomach turn over as his heart got faster, as did his breathing. Swallowing hard, he attempted to wave his hand in front of his face, but saw nothing. His breath coming in short, frantic gasps, Gordon blindly stuck out a hand, feeling relieved when it connected with the rock. Stumbling slightly, he navigated his way over, sliding back down the wall and taking up his previous position. He couldn't move about now, there were too many lose rocks on the floor, he had no intention of knocking himself out again.

"Any day now would be good." Unable to stop his teeth chattering, Gordon huddled miserably against the rock, his head throbbing dully. All in all, as he wished his brothers' to seriously hurry up, Gordon decided that he didn't feel very well. What he really could do with now was a nice sleep, only he was too cold. And there was something niggling at the back of his brain, something that he knew he had to tell his father. As his eyes attempted to drift shut, Gordon could feel how badly he was trembling with the cold. Part of him knew that wasn't good, that he needed to do something fast to warm himself up, but that involved moving, not to mention thinking. Both things were too strenuous for the aquanaut, and deciding that if he was asleep he wouldn't be able to feel the cold, Gordon let his eyes shut. Just before he slipped into the darkness, he remembered what it was he needed to tell his dad, but by then it was too late. Gordon once again surrendered to the realm of unconsciousness, his body shaking of its' own accord from the cold.

**Erm... I'm just going to back away now... *runs* Byeeeeeeeee!**

** Sorry?**


	3. Chapter 3

***is being slowly dragged back by a certain Sam1* Not brave enough to put off this update any longer, I'm not sure if I'll ever be forgiven as I promised a quick update to make up for my mean cliffie!**

**I'm just going to say now that I have absolutely no medical knowledge at all, meaning I'm probably getting this all wrong, but never mind, hey?**

**Thank you so much for those wonderful reviews, means a lot to me!**

"Damnit," Virgil cursed, trying to crane his neck backwards to see why he had stopped.

"What's up?" Scott responded from somewhere above him, immediately pressing his hand down on the rope, making sure not to hold on, and allowing the pressure to stop his free-fall. He had only agreed that Virgil should go first because he had already been down once, he knew the position of the cave. For all Scott knew, he could have shot straight past it and not noticed.

"I think I'm tangled…"

"I gotcha ya," reaching out with one hand, Scott leant over as far as his own rope would let him, fingers fumbling as he attempted to unhook Virgil's line from the piece of rock jutting out that had stopped his brother's descent. Feeling it come free, Scott quickly barked out a warning to Virgil, allowing the artist to brace himself and stop himself from falling. For a few moments, the two brothers paused, trying to catch their breath before the next stage of the descent.

"Scott?"

"Virg?"

"Does Dad know?" Virgil's quiet tone echoed around the shaft the two men were abseiling down, increasing in volume and driving home the fact they were not just any ordinary team. Hearing Scott sigh deeply above him, Virgil attempted to catch sight of his brother, the strong torch attached to his helmet causing a beam of light to go bouncing around as he moved.

"Yeah. I told him whilst you were setting up the pulley."

"And?"

"What was the last thing he said to Gordon?"

"Oh." No more words were needed; Virgil knew precisely how their father would have reacted. Things were tense enough on any rescue, let alone one which resulted in a son getting hurt. It only made the matter ten times worse when the last thing Jeff had done was yell at his son.

"Come on, let's go get him. I'm freezing here."

Nodding his understanding, a movement Scott only caught because of the movement of the light, the two of them released their pressure on the ropes, allowing them to slide once more into the blackness.

They had been travelling for no more than five minutes when Virgil suddenly felt his legs hit solid ground. Barking out a quick warning to Scott, he quickly detached his harness from the rope, moving to the side as Scott came to a stop next to him. Hearing Scott suddenly suck in his breath, Virgil glanced back over his shoulder to see a horrified expression on his big brother's face. Confused, Virgil turned back again, only to realise what it was that had caught Scott's eye. He had not considered how close he too had come to being stuck down here, the second rock fall had covered the whole of the area they were standing in with debris.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Virgil muttered, not believing his own words, but not wanting Scott to freak out. Stumbling forward, Virgil frowned when he felt a hand attach itself to his harness, pulling him back again. Before he could say anything, Scott had forced him down on one of the larger boulders and was fixing his little brother with a look that had Virgil groaning.

"What?"

"Let me see your leg."

"My leg?"

"You're limping." It was only then that Virgil remembered the rock hitting him. He had been so preoccupied with worry for Gordon and thinking of ways he could get his brother out that he had forgotten about the back of his leg. He had simply adjusted his weight so as not to feel it, but now realised he should have known better than that if he thought that would have been enough to get past Scott.

"It's fine, nothing really."

"Virgil." Sighing irritably at the warning in Scott's voice, Virgil yanked the leg of his trousers up, somewhat viciously. Letting a whistle slide between his teeth, Scott bent down, wincing in sympathy at the crimson stream still trickling from a deep cut in Virgil's leg. Reaching into his belt, he quickly pulled free one of their makeshift bandages before securely it tightly around the wound, hoping that it would be enough until they reached the surface again. Or more importantly, reached base.

"You should have told me."

"So what, you would leave me up there?" Jerking his thumb towards the ceiling, Virgil pulled the material back down again and stood up angrily. "Don't think so, Scott."

"Virgil…"

"You're shivering." Virgil suddenly stated, cutting his brother off. Frowning at him, Scott couldn't help but feel confused. So was Virgil, the air temperature had dropped significantly, but the older brother wasn't sure why the medic had bought it up.

"So?"

"Gordon gave his jacket to the girl."

"We have to move, _now_," Scott snapped, jogging past his brother as quickly as he could considering the unevenness of the floor. Virgil knew immediately by the way Scott's whole demeanor had changed that the pilot knew full well what the temperature could mean for Gordon. He was right, they did need to get a move on, the prankster had been down here too long as it was.

"Scott, here!" Virgil suddenly called, seeing the uneven spacing in the rocks and knowing that it was where their previous hole had been. Not to mention the evidence of their smashed up equipment. Dropping to his knees, Scott felt his breath catch in his throat as he took in the destruction. Brains made their equipment withstand nearly anything. If it was this crushed, Scott knew he was seriously lucky for Virgil to be kneeling next to him. Wordlessly handing his brother the tools they had managed to bring down with them, the two set to work, desperately hoping they would be able to break through and reach their brother.

The two worked in silence, words not needed as Virgil carefully drilled his way through the rock, Scott immediately moving anything that came lose. Not knowing where Gordon was, they couldn't risk anything falling. As a team, it didn't take them long to begin to break through, only to then simultaneously moan at the darkness that met them.

"He's gonna love that."

"Gordon? Gords?" Yelling down into the hole, Scott traded fearful glances with Virgil at the silence that responded to his shout. As soon as they had begun to break through the surface, a rush of cold air had greeted them, the cave below even colder than where they were.

"Faster," Virgil ordered, immediately turning his attention back to drilling through. Tackling one of the bigger pieces, the artist was glad he was not trying this on his own, Scott's quick reactions being the only thing stopping the rock tumbling into the darkness below. With the hole slightly wider, Scott reached into his belt, pulling out a handful of glow sticks before snapping them and dropping them through. Almost banging heads, both brothers attempted to peer through the gap. The sticks had illuminated the whole cave in a soft light, but the pair of them only had eyes for one thing. Slumped against a wall, Gordon was just visible, clearly unconscious. Within seconds, the hole was wide enough to let one of them through, and before Virgil could so much as blink, Scott had pulled out a rope, clearly preparing to lower himself down.

"Wait," holding out his hand, Virgil stood up, preventing Scott from continuing. "I'll go."

"Virgil, this isn't the time…"

"I'm lighter than you. I won't be able to pull you both back up." His sentence delivered bluntly, Virgil was glad when Scott simply nodded. He had been preparing to have to fight against Scott's protective nature in order to let him be the one drop into the hole.

"Fine, but if you are having trouble, I'm coming down."

"Yes Sir." Virgil gave his brother a mock salute even as he allowed Scott to attach the rope to the harness before anchoring himself, leaning back to test his footing.

"I mean it Virg, I'm not losing you too. You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Good luck."

"F.A.B." And with that, Virgil walked backwards towards the hole, his toes tensing as he eased himself through it. As he dropped through, he couldn't help but smile as Scott smoothly lowered him down, marveling how he hadn't even blinked at trusting his brother to see him safely down. Team didn't quite touch how the Tracy's worked together, didn't do it justice.

"How you doing, Virg?"

"I'm down." Virgil called back up as he felt his feet touch the ground. Immediately unfastening the harness, Virgil stepped out of it before scrambling across the cave, realising within an instant how small it was. Dropping to his knees beside Gordon, Virgil couldn't help but wonder at just how scared the young man had been. Stretching out his hand, he caught Gordon's wrist, wincing when he felt how cold it was. To his relief, he could feel the pulse under his finger, only couldn't stop the worry building up as he took note of how erratic it was. Letting go, he then quickly untied Gordon's sash, checking for himself the wound on his head before re-dressing it in something far more suitable.

"How is he?" Scott's voice almost sounded muted as Virgil took stock of his brother's injuries. It wasn't just the wound on his head that was bleeding, but Gordon hadn't even noticed the numerous small scrapes littering his exposed arms. Knowing they were not serious and that there was nothing he could for them now, Virgil shrugged off his own jacket, wrapping it around his brother before securing it tightly. He immediately felt the cold, shivers wracking his body as he carefully lifted his brother, draping him across his shoulders, one hand holding his legs, the other supporting Gordon's back. He knew it was far more crucial that Gordon had his jacket, however, for his brother was worryingly cold, his lips taking on a slightly blue tinge in the dim light.

"Scott, can you pull us both up?"

"Naturally," came the short reply, but Virgil could hear how tense his brother's voice was. He was just as worried as the artist, possibly even more so considering Scott's track record with worrying about his brothers.

"Hoist away then." By the time Scott had regained his position and began straining on the rope, Virgil had re-attached his harness, allowing Scott to take all his weight as he used his hands to brace Gordon. As his feet slowly left the floor, Virgil couldn't help remembering something from when they were young. He had always maintained Scott was the strongest person he knew, something John had always found most annoying, but now, as his big brother slowly drew the two of them out of the hole, Virgil knew it was true. Not just physically, but mentally as well. Not many people could pull two brothers from a cold, dark hole, especially as one of them was unconscious.

Within a matter of minutes, Virgil had his feet back on the ground again, gently laying Gordon down and shaking his arms to get the blood flowing again. Scott watched him silently for a moment, before suddenly wrapping his own jacket around his brother.

"Scott…"

"No protests. You're shivering. It's colder down there than up here, I'll be fine." Knowing by the look on his face that it would be pointless to try and argue, Virgil simply wriggled his arms in, smiling slightly as the sleeves fell down past his hands. Rolling them up for him, Scott then turned his attention back to his younger brother, worry flickering onto his face once more.

"How is he?"

"Cold." Virgil responded bluntly, also watching Gordon. It was not right for the kid to be this still, he was always moving. Even with a broken leg and a restrained arm, he had once managed to get completely tangled up in the bed sheets. This was just unnerving.

"We need to get him warmed up, but we're gonna have to be careful how we do it, we don't want his body going into shock. First of all we've got to get out here. Any ideas how to get him out?"

Frowning for a moment, Scott's eyes fell on the rope still attached to Virgil's harness and he nodded. Motioning for his brother to come closer, he quickly untied the rope, winding it in so that he had hold of both ends. As Virgil watched, he bent down, wrapping it around Gordon's torso and around his arms and legs expertly.

"I'll attach it to my harness."

"Scott, do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If you slip, your harness won't be properly secure, it won't take the weight of the pair of you if jolted."

"Got any better ideas?"

"Fine, but you're going first, at least that way if you fall I can catch you."

"Don't think so, Virg, we'll only take you down too."

"You're not changing my mind on this." Suddenly feeling slightly disconcerted as Scott grinned, Virgil was not prepared for his brother to spring forward, practically tackling him to the floor. Before he could right his balance, Virgil found himself being dragged over to where the ropes were hanging. Despite trying to free himself from Scott's grip, Virgil was helpless against his brother as Scott merely wrapped one strong arm around his waist, stopping his attempts to head back towards Gordon, and used the other to hook Virgil's harness on.

"Hang on," he said mischievously, flicking the small device on the harness that allowed the pulley to be activated and begin to pull his brother to safety. Letting out an extremely undignified yelp as the rope began to move, Virgil had just enough time to spin around and brace himself before he was being pulled up the shaft.

"You'll pay for that, Scott!" His yell merely echoed back down to his brother, causing Scott to shake his head with a fond smile. Turning back towards Gordon's still form, the smile immediately disappeared.

"Come on then, trouble," he muttered softly, sighing deeply as he picked his brother up. Carrying him over to where his own rope was waiting, Scott opened the catch on his harness, securely slipping the rope wrapped around his brother into it before attaching it to the rope. Making sure he took as much as Gordon's weight as possible to try and keep it even, Scott then activated his own device. Despite what he told Virgil, his heart was pounding somewhat frantically as the pair of them were lifted from the floor. If either of them slipped, or the rope got caught, the harness was not securing enough to keep them safe.

The pair of them were lucky. The ride up to the daylight was as smooth as Scott could dare hope for, but he had a feeling that Virgil might have had something to do with that. There were occasions were the rope suddenly –yet smoothly - swung itself out into more of a central position, an action that was normally accompanied by some sort of curse as Virgil then struggled to straighten his own position. As the rocks sent Virgil's colourful language bouncing back down the shaft, Scott couldn't help but grin, wondering where his little brother had picked up some of his profanities from, they certainly were an interesting mixture.

Between trying not to laugh at Virgil and trying not to let the worry for Gordon drive any rational thought from his head, Scott found the journey up to the surface went relatively quick. Before he knew it, Virgil was reaching down, taking Gordon's weight as Scott scrambled out of the hole, unclipping the harness from both Gordon and the rope. Virgil was already out of his, and before Scott had finished untangling himself from the rope, Virgil was carrying Gordon towards Two.

"Virg, wait up!" Scott found himself yelling, but his brother merely carried on walking. No doubt Virgil was seeking his revenge, and attempting to scramble faster, Scott managed to completely loop the rope around his ankle. His own curses outdoing that of his younger brother's, Scott eventually managed to free himself and was quickly sprinting into Two himself.

Skidding to a halt inside the door, Scott took a moment to compose himself before entering the sick bay. Virgil had Gordon laid out on one of the beds, a thermo-blanket draped over him, the temperature in the room set to high. Noticing his jacket thrown carelessly on one of the other beds from where Virgil had discarded it, Scott picked it up again, crossing the sick bay. Standing at the foot of the bed, anxious not to get in Virgil's way, Scott found himself draping it tenderly across the bottom of the bed, over Gordon's feet in a desperate attempt to be doing something to help. Glancing over his shoulder, Virgil didn't say anything. Words were not needed. Fright and worry were reflecting in both of their eyes, especially considering Gordon was still unconscious.

"What can we do?"

"Nothing," Virgil sighed heavily, pausing for a moment. He had hooked Gordon up to as much of the machinery as he could, not even sure if half of it was relevant, but knew that he had to be doing something. At Scott's words however, he stopped, one hand resting on the dial of a machine. There was nothing they could do that wasn't already being done. They were bringing his temperature back up, but it wasn't as if Virgil could even make that happen faster, not without causing further harm to his brother.

"It isn't your fault, Virgil," Scott said softly, noticing the tremor in Virgil's hand and knowing precisely what his brother was thinking. It was only because he was thinking it himself.

"I let him go down the hole. I should have got them out quicker."

"You couldn't. Virg, if you had done anything differently, the chances are that none of you would have come out alive. I shouldn't have let either of you down there, not without checking the comms first. There is no way I should have let you drill through without guidance."

"Scott…"

"Don't, Virg. I'm supposed to be your field commander, I'm supposed to make sure rescues are safe. Damnit, I'm his big _brother_, it is my duty to protect him, to protect you all."

Before Virgil could retort, a low moan made both brothers pause, turning simultaneously towards the bed. Gordon still had his eyes shut, but as they watched, he shifted again, his legs almost dislodging Scott's jacket.

"Virg, what's happening?"

"He's warming up," Virgil said quietly, the relieved smile evident in his voice. Gordon wasn't ready to regain consciousness yet, but his body was reacting to the change in temperature, and judging by the way it was dragging him back towards reality, Virgil knew they could hope for nothing better, given the circumstances.

"Get back to One, Scott, it's time for us to head home."

"I'm not leaving him."

"So how do you plan to get One back to base, teleport?" Opening his mouth to respond to Virgil's sarcasm, Scott had to admit defeat. As much as he wanted to stay by Gordon's side, Scott knew he had to look towards his duty as a member of International Rescue as well as that of family member.

"There's nothing more we can do for him here, we need to get home." Virgil whispered softly, suddenly appearing behind Scott. His older brother had not even noticed him move, his eyes fixated on Gordon's restless form. Feeling a hand rub soothingly across his back, Scott sighed deeply. Tugging on the pilot's arm, Virgil somehow succeeded in getting the man to his feet.

"Go on, big brother, he is safe." At Scott's clear reluctance , Virgil couldn't help but snort with laughter. He knew the rest of the boys mocked him when it came to getting paranoid about their health, but there was no way he was even on the same chart as Scott.

"Scott, do I have to start clucking?"

Glaring at Virgil for even bringing up Gordon's pet name for the pair of them, Scott rolled his eyes. Taking one long last look at the littlest brother present, the field commander allowed Virgil to steer him out of his own baby and towards his own. The Mole had already disappeared into the vast hulk of Thunderbird Two, Virgil no doubt having activated the automatic mode once he had surfaced, all Scott had left to do was pick up Mobile Control. Hearing a roar of a familiar engine, he picked up his pace. In a way, he was glad Virgil was already making a move. Even with the added delay, Scott knew without having to think about it that he was going to beat them home. At least this way, he wouldn't be waiting for as long the other end.

After moving to a safe distance, the oldest brother turned to watch Thunderbird Two take off. More often than not, he was already airborne, his need for speed making him a perfect match for his own craft. Smiling softly in pride at the sure handling Virgil showed, Scott shook his head, his heart aching. Why did every rescue feel like it aged him a decade? One of his brothers was constantly getting into trouble, and he had promised their mom that he would always protect them. It seemed like he was constantly fighting a losing battle, the Tracys were more than magnets for trouble. Setting off back towards Mobile Control, Scott had just switched everything off and made it all safe for travelling when a voice broke through his heavy thoughts.

"Excuse me. Sir!" Turning, Scott caught sight of a man running towards him, a familiar blue item in his hand. For a moment, Scott's mind went blank, but luckily, just before the rushing man reached him, everything clicked back into place. The children's father, Simon. Trying to force his face into a look a calm professionalism, Scott forced aside the stab of annoyance. He didn't want to have to act all happy for the man when what he really wanted was to be shooting for home to make sure his brother was alright.

"Dee insisted you got this back, she said her new friend would be cold otherwise and his mommy might think he left it on the bus like he did his brother. I'm sorry, she was most persistent, I'm sure that means no more to you than it does me."

"Thank you." Scott forced out, his heart beating uncomfortably fast as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. It wasn't their mom that had been worried about Gordon leaving anything on the bus, he hadn't been old enough to go on it on his own when she had passed. There was only one memory Scott had of Gordon and buses, and he had to admit, it was typical Gordon to share a small, personal thing with the child to make her feel better. Knowing the man was watching him with a strange look on his face, Scott faked a smile, hoping it would do enough.

"I better…"

"Sure. And thank you so much, once again, sir. I honestly don't know what the world would do without you fellows." Nodding his appreciation, Scott turned and walked away, pausing for long enough to hit a switch on Mobile Control that caused the machinery to begin to pack itself away into One. Clutching the jacket close with both hands, Scott shut his eyes, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. They may have flown out here to rescue the children, but Scott knew just how close to losing Gordon they had been. Heck, looking at the debris littering the cave, he had come close to losing them both.

"…and here is one of the men himself. Is it true that your colleague is dead, that in saving the children he sacrificed himself?" Blinking somewhat stupidly, Scott almost growled in frustration at the eager reporter standing in front of him. He knew he couldn't rise to it. He couldn't react, despite the fact that it was his _brother _they were talking about. Making to move past them, Scott spun angrily as a hand latched onto his arm, spinning him around to face the camera again.

"Would you care to make a statement?"

Opening his mouth to rid himself of the troublesome reporters, Scott was just as surprised as the reporters when Simon came striding out of nowhere, placing himself between the pilot and the camera.

"You know their policy, now clear off before I have you arrested." Scott had no idea who this man was, but judging by the way the man paled and almost tripped over his feet he backed up so fast, they clearly did.

"Yes, deputy, of course, at once…" Watching with raised eyebrows, Scott couldn't stop a small smile playing across his mouth as he watched the reporter and his camera man ran for the hills.

"I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do for the footage they already have, I have no warrant to seize it with."

"That's alright, I can deal with it. Deputy?" At the man's nod, Scott stuck out his hand. Reaching out, Simon shook it warmly.

"I owe you thanks."

"It's the least I can do. Now, go look after your brother." This time, the pilot had no time to hide his reaction, his mouth all but hanging open as he stared. Chuckling softly, the man tipped Scott a wink.

"Don't worry, no one will find out from me."

"How… I mean, it's not…"

"Oh don't try and deny it, son. I saw the way the three of you acted, both before and after the rescue. It's the same as my kids. There are bonds there no ordinary team can form. I also saw the way you acted to Dee's message; you knew precisely what she was talking about. Now go on, good sir, the world needs you. And so does your family."

And with that, the man walked away, leaving a speechless Tracy in his wake. Shaking himself into action, Scott scurried into his baby, unable to believe that had really just happened. They weren't that obvious, were they? Then again, he had been so worried about Gordon that he hadn't been paying any attention to anyone that might have been watching, and judging by the way Virgil had taken Gordon straight into Two, neither had he.

Sinking into his chair, Scott ran a hand through his hair wearily, almost lazily hitting the button that would wipe the footage of the still fleeing camera men. He knew they were still easily in range, they were amateurs after all. They probably hadn't even known the Thunderbirds were in the area until they stumbled upon them by accident. If he hadn't been so angry at them, Scott would have loved to see their faces when they realised the fleeing with a blank film. Running through his pre-flight checks, Scott patched himself through to Base.

"Thunderbird One just about to leave danger zone. ETA 3 minutes."

"F.A.B, Scott. Virg is just about to come in to land, you'll probably arrive upstairs together."

"John? Is that you?" Peering at his small screen in confusion, Scott couldn't help but feel puzzled. There was no one there, yet his brother's voice was clearly the one echoing back at him.

"Yep. Dad's already headed down to the silos and I think Alan has gone too, although I bet they have taken separate routes. Dad asked me to clear you when you left, he wanted to be there as soon as the others touch down."

"How is Dad?" Scott asked softly, allowing the engines to roar into life and sending him blasting into the air. Not so much as blinking as his sudden change in altitude, Scott merely flicked a few switches and sent himself heading for home, now more than thankful that the rescue had been so close.

"Not good. You know how he gets anyway, and the fact that he blamed Gords for something Alan did. Oh, that didn't go down well either, Alan has been sent up to Five."

"Guess you're not too happy about that, Johnny?"

"The Sprout won't be about to cope with it. Yet at the same time, I must admit, it will be good to spend some time on the island."

"You ok, dude?"

"Yeah, sorry Scott. Just worried about Gordo."

"Me too. Hey Johnny, can you clear me for landing?" Somewhat surprised to find that his three minutes was up so soon, Scott spun his 'bird around, carefully lining her up and staying poised, waiting for John's signal. Within only a matter of seconds, he had lowered the giant of a machine and was soon powering down just as quickly as he had powered up. Knowing that he hadn't finished the post-flight checks properly, Scott found that just this once, he really didn't care, instead opting for leaping out of his 'bird as soon as it was safe to do so and setting off at full speed towards Thunderbird Two.

**See! I can end it on a slightly nicer note, I'm not all mean!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok dokey, so this is now me done on this story! Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, it really has meant a lot, the outrage at my cliffhangers certainly made me laugh! Unfortunately this time I'm not going to be back quite as quickly, but never fear (or perhaps you should..?), there are more ideas floating around my head!**

**So anyway, hope that you all enjoy this last chapter!**

"Thunderbird Two requesting permission to land." Virgil's dull voice brought Jeff back into the present so fast that his neck clicked.

"Granted. Virgil…."

"He'll be ok, Dad." Letting out an explosion of breath, Jeff leant back in his chair, running a hand through his hair distractedly. He had felt like he had aged a decade over the last hour. Receiving Scott's communication that Gordon was stuck in the cave had made Jeff feel like he was going to have a heart attack, his chest constricting with fear and guilt. It was a dangerous enough rescue as it was, but with communications down, there was no way of finding out the situation his second youngest son was in until the boys reached the surface again. Alan had gone decidedly pale at the news before fleeing from the room, but Jeff knew better than to follow him. No doubt the young man was feeling even more guilty than his father, going after the hot-headed youth would only cause another argument. Besides, it had given him a few moments to talk to John, to reassure himself that his elder blonde didn't mind coming home. He didn't want John to suffer for Alan's prank.

Jumping to his feet as a roar of engines signaled his son's approach, Jeff spared half a glance over his shoulder.

"If Scott calls in before I get back, do you mind clearing him, John?"

"F.A.B. Dad, can you keep me posted on Gords?" His smile answering the question for his son, Jeff found himself sprinting down towards the silos. He had to be in there the second Virgil opened up Two, he needed to be by his son's side. Not only to reassure himself that his boy was going to be alright, for as much as he trusted Virgil, Jeff found that he always had to see it with his own eyes before allowing himself to believe it. It was more than that, though. He had some apologising to do. He had been prepared to trust Alan, and instead had let Gordon go off on a rescue believing that his father was mad at him. And with communications down, Gordon had been stuck in the dark and the cold on his own. Despite knowing it took a lot to get his joker of a son down, Jeff knew full well what being stuck in a place like that would have done to him, Virgil wasn't the only one that remembered Gordon's terror at being stuck in the cellar. And although the memory was faint, Jeff still could hear those frantic cries of his three year old son, begging his father to come and save him from the dark.

Shuddering, Jeff picked up his pace, determined to reassure himself that Gordon was alright. He couldn't bear the thought that he could have lost Gordon, especially knowing what his last words to his son had been. Skidding to a halt, Jeff leant over the railings, desperately trying to force some air back into his protesting lungs as he watched Virgil bring Two into land. No sooner had the machine touched down that Jeff was on the move again. He knew by the time he got down there, the engines would have cooled enough to allow him to approach.

It just showed how often Jeff had sprinted across the silos in terrified anxiety, for the second he came to a stop next to the giant machine, the doors swished open, the timing working to perfection. Virgil hadn't even had time to get out of his seat before his father had reached the sick bay.

"Gordon." Jeff's voice was no more than a mere whisper as he stood framed in the doorway, his heart catching in his throat as he caught sight of his son. Gordon was still moving restlessly, his body continuing to adjust to a more normal temperature, yet his eyes were shut. Hearing Virgil come up behind him, Jeff moved further in, swallowing his fear and crouching down next to his son. Taking Gordon's hand in his own, Jeff found himself casting a worried glance over at his middle son when he felt how cold the limb was.

"He will be ok, Dad. If he wasn't… we'd know about it by now. It is just going to take a little time."

"Virgil, are you shivering?"

"No, I'm fine." Jeff merely frowned at his artist, not believing the quick dismissal for an instant. His eyes flickered momentarily back to Gordon, taking in the jacket that was wrapped around the red-head as well as the one draped over his feet. He should have known. With Scott and Virgil around, he would have received every layer they could get off. By the time he had turned his attention back to Virgil, Scott had materialised in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the youngest brother present with the same intensity his father knew for a fact must also be showing in his eyes.

"I want you two in the shower as soon as we get Gordon upstairs."

"Dad, we're fine."

"Dad…" Freezing, Jeff found his head whipping around on its own accord. That hadn't been Virgil or Scott who had spoken. It had been their brother.

"Gordon? Son? Can you hear me?" Squeezing Gordon's hand gently with one of his own, Jeff used the other to push Gordon's hair tenderly back from his eyes, trying not to wince at how cold the skin was. He knew his son was going to be fine, he had more than enough faith in Virgil's ability, but it was the way his son had delivered the fact that Gordon may have never made it home from this rescue that made the tears sting in Jeff's eyes. The last thing he would have said to his son was that he was in trouble.

"Dad…"

"I'm here, baby. You're home, and nice and warm. Come on, Gords, come back to us."

"S'not my fault…didn't do it…."

"Gordon?"

"Dad, I don't think he is really waking up," Virgil commented softly, moving forward to stand next to his father so he could get a better look at his brother. Not noticing Scott shadow his every move, Virgil anxiously checked the readings coming from some of the monitors he had hooked Gordon up too. The red-head's temperature was indeed rising, but it was not yet at the point where it would allow him to wake up properly.

"I imagine his sub-conscious had something he needed to say, and as he is slowly beginning to come round, that is what is happening."

"He wanted to apologise?" Jeff whispered, tears restricting his voice. "Oh Gords, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be apologising, son."

"Scotty, c'mon." Virgil muttered, grabbing his brother by the back of his sash and dragging him out. There was nothing more that they could do in the infirmary that wasn't being done here, and hearing his father's tone, Virgil knew that Jeff needed a moment. He too remembered the look of anger on his face as they had left for the rescue and had heard firsthand how down Gordon had been about it.

"No, I'm staying…"

"Scott." Tipping his head towards the pair, Virgil finally managed to get across to his older brother that this was more than about them being there for Gordon. Besides, whilst Virgil may have shrugged off his father's concern about him shivering, he could see Scott was doing the same and didn't want another brother to be in need of treatment. Knowing Scott, he hadn't even noticed.

"Oh right. Erm… we'll be upstairs if you need us, Dad." Jeff didn't even notice his two sons quickly make their escape from the Thunderbird; he was being too overwhelmed with guilt. He couldn't believe that the one thing that was playing on Gordon's mind so much was the fact that his father blamed him for the prank.

"Gordon, I'm so sorry, son. I should have never have shouted at you. I certainly shouldn't have automatically believed Alan. Please, Gords, wake up. Forgive me?" Knowing that the two elder boys were out of earshot, Jeff felt himself sagging against the bed, Gordon's hand clutched tightly in his own. Resting his head on the corner of the mattress, Jeff couldn't comprehend how he ended up with tears trickling down his cheeks. From what Virgil had said, Gordon could have so easily not made it back from this rescue.

"I promise I'll make it up to you, son. I swear I'll never yell at you again. Well…" pausing for a moment, Jeff let a weak smile cross his face. "Unless you deserve it. But certainly never just before you leave for a rescue. Oh Gords, I could have lost you and you would never know how much I love you."

"I know, Dad." Sitting up suddenly, Jeff allowed the smile to dominant his face as he caught sight of Gordon slowly peeling his eyes open. The youth was extremely pale, but as Jeff caught sight of the glint in his eye, he finally believed Virgil's words about his brother being alright.

"Can I hold you to the never yelling before a rescue?"

"Oh Gordon," Bending down, Jeff quickly slipped a hand around Gordon's back, sitting his son up and pulling him into a tight embrace, trying to force his own body heat into his cold son. For a moment, Gordon seemed surprised by the action, but then he relaxed, welcoming the heat. There was silence in the sick bay for a few moments, both men lost in their own thoughts. Thinking back on the cave, Gordon suddenly shuddered, making Jeff pull away and look at him in concern.

"Gords?"

"It was so small, Dad." Gordon whispered, his light-hearted tone that had been present in his first words disappearing as he glanced away. "And then all the lights went off and I was on my own. I didn't think the guys would be coming…."

"Gordon, look at me." Waiting until his red-head had complied with his instructions, Jeff smiled gently. "Your brothers will always come for you, no matter what. Whether it is dark, cold, deep, or whether it is just revenge…" Pausing for a moment, Jeff ruffled his son's hair fondly as a small smile managed to ghost its way across Gordon's face, although it did nothing to remove the haunted look in his eye.

"They will always come for you. We all will. We love you."

"You ok, Dad?" Gordon asked quietly. He knew his father would do his utmost to reassure his son, he always had done, but Gordon couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable about the obvious display of affection coming from his father, it was not like the man to be that open with his feelings. He portrayed to his boys how much he loved them, a touch on the shoulder, a look in his eye told them more than words ever could. So with Jeff so openly declaring it, Gordon was slightly concerned about what was going on.

"I'm fine. Gordon, I…"

"What?"

"Damnit Gordon, I could have lost you and the last thing I would have done was yell at you." Blinking in surprise at the raw emotion he could hear in his father's loud tone, Gordon pushed himself into a more upright position, smiling softly when he caught sight of Virgil's jacket around him.

"Dad, we know the dangers of the rescues, no, don't interrupt, we know. And yet we do it anyway. I know you were annoyed, and all I'm saying is Al better run. But Dad, I _know,_we all do. It is what gives up the strength to keep going."

"Wow." For a moment, but men sat in stunned silence. It was harder to say who was more surprised about what had just come out of Gordon's mouth. Watching him, Jeff found the corners of his mouth suddenly twitch. Catching sight of the motion, Gordon took one look at his father and burst out laughing. Within a matter of seconds, Jeff had followed suit, his amusement and relief being too great to contain.

"Come on, philosopher, let's get you upstairs before your brothers come back down."

"Oh Dad, please, just leave me here," Gordon moaned pathetically as he shakily put his feet on the ground, pushing himself upright. Watching him critically, Jeff quickly stuck out a hand, steadying Gordon by the elbow as the red-head wobbled somewhat precariously. He was far paler than Jeff was comfortable with. He had only seen Gordon look like that once before, and that time as well, Jeff didn't think he would ever get the chance of telling his son how proud of him he was.

"There is going to be no stopping them, is there?" Picking up Scott's jacket from where it had fallen on the floor, Jeff wrapped it around Gordon's shoulders, leaving his arm there. Mildly curious as to where Gordon's was, Jeff steered his son out of the sick bay, making sure to be taking as much as his weight as he could.

"You might have one thing working in your favour." Jeff said quietly, a hint of a smile playing across his mouth although his eyes still sparkled with concern. As the pair of them stepped into the lift, Gordon shot his father a quizzical look, subconsciously leaning against him.

"What's that?"

"Virgil was limping."

TBTBTB

"Scott, get off me!"

"You are not going anywhere until you've sorted out your leg. And don't think you can sneak away either, Alan Tracy. Not until you have apologised to Gordon."

"Scott, please, relax a bit."

"Just because you are on Five doesn't mean you can tell me what to do, John. Especially if you are going to be back here very shortly."

"Why is John going to be back here?"

"Virgil, sit down!"

"Because I've been banished."

"Scott, leave me the hell alone! How long for, Alan?"

"Too long."

"He wasn't talking to you."

"Thought you would be glad to have a change of scenery, John."

"Hem hem." Clearing his throat, Gordon found himself leaning against his father a little more as he watched the chaos in front of him. The lounge of the Tracy household had turned into a war zone. Virgil was sitting on the edge of the sofa, Scott's firm hand on his shoulder obviously being the only thing keeping him there. Scott's other hand was practically entwined in Alan's collar, who looked like he was trying to bolt. His eyes flickering over to the portraits, Gordon found himself smirking as John leant forward in his chair, annoyance dominant in his face as his hand crashed down on a switch with far more force than necessary. How he loved not being in the middle of it for a change.

"Gords! You're awake, and up. How are you feeling, dude? Scott, will you _please _let me up now?"

"No," Scott practically growled, but let go of both of his brothers all the same. Before Gordon could so much as blink, his oldest brother had crossed the room, placing his hands on his younger sibling's shoulders and looking him directly in the eye. For a moment, no one moved as Gordon felt his brother practically examine his soul. Eventually though, he did pull away, only to pull the aquanaut into a fierce hug.

"Don't you _ever _do that to me again, Gordon Tracy." Cuffing his brother lightly over the head, Scott's words reflected more than his light hearted tone could manage. Offering his brother a small smile, Gordon sent out an apology with his eyes, causing Scott to wink. Unbeknownst to Scott, however, Virgil had slipped silently from the sofa, crossing the room without a sound. Smirking at his younger brother, Virgil reached around with one hand, tapping Scott on the opposite shoulder. As his brother whipped around, Virgil merely nudged him out of the way, allowing the artist to stand in front of his younger sibling. As Scott had done, he said not a word for a long moment, simply staring at his brother to make sure Gordon was really there and not just a hallucination. For once, Gordon put up with the quiet, knowing that if he wanted any chance at escaping from them for about the next month, he had to let them reassure themselves. And they called him and Alan the Terrible Two. Thinking about his younger brother, Gordon let his eyes flicker over Virgil's shoulder, seeking out the youngest Tracy as Virgil mirrored Scott's actions and pulled him into a hug. Alan was looking the other way, his whole posture tense in a way that Gordon knew meant he was upset and shaken.

Returning Virgil's hug, the red-head found himself smiling into his brother's shoulder. He wouldn't change his family for the world, that was for sure. Suddenly tightening his grip on Virgil, Gordon knew by the way his brother responded that Virgil was thinking the same thing as him. The family could have so easily have been torn apart today. Every time they went on a rescue, there was the constant risk that one may not make it back, and Gordon knew enough about medicine and the human body to know it had become very close to being him this time.

"Virg, are you going to let the guy breathe?" Hearing John's amused tone, Virgil sheepishly pulled away, ruffling Gordon's hair as he did so and letting John get a proper look at him. Offering him a smile, Gordon could see in the blonde's eyes that he hated not being there to check on his brother for himself. For some reason, reassurances from each other didn't do enough in the Tracy household, each brother had to see for themselves. John may have been putting up a fuss about coming home, but after what had happened, he was secretly relieved. It would do him some good to get off Five for a change, and he wanted to make sure himself that Gordon was truly alright.

"You ok, kiddo?"

Pausing for a moment, his eyes flickering over his family around him, Gordon smiled, albeit whilst trying to hide a shiver.

"I'm good, Johnny. I'm good."

"You need something hot inside you," Scott suddenly declared from the other end of the room. Perched on the edge of his father's desk, the eldest brother had not missed the shiver Gordon had been attempting to hide. However, it wasn't just his red-headed younger sibling that was attempting to hide shivers.

"You too, Virg."

"You can talk." Virgil responded sharply, his eyes twinkling as he glanced over at Scott. For as much as the pilot was frowning at the pair of them, he too was subconsciously rubbing his hands over his arms in an attempt to warm them up slightly.

"I thought I told you both to hit the showers?" Jeff finally interrupted, having allowed his sons to reassure themselves. He knew there was no point in telling them to stop crowding Gordon, it would only make matters worse later. Better they got it out of their system and made sure their brother was alright now whilst Jeff was there to make sure they didn't go too far. He knew how much Gordon hated being smothered.

"Scott, Virgil, upstairs, now. Then Virgil, you are to report to the infirmary, I want a proper look at that leg. Scott, I want a run down with what happened to the communications after you are warm again. Alan, I want you to go and pack. Everyone understood?"

"F.A.B." Watching Scott and Virgil wander out of the room, their reluctance to go still obvious. Yet even his oldest brother/field commander knew not to cross Jeff when he used that tone. It was a scary mixture of concerned father and the commander of International Rescue, a dangerous mix if one wanted to go against it. Glancing at his dad, Gordon moved forward as Alan went to slouch from the room after them. Catching his kid brother around the arm, Gordon spun him around to face him.

"Aren't you going to give me a hug?" He asked lightly, his eyes roaming Alan's face. He may have three older brothers all fussing around him, but the aquanaut was still an elder brother himself. He too had a duty to his younger sibling, and looking at Alan now, the kid needed it.

"Gords, I..."

"Don't sweat it, kid."

"But..."

"Oi! What does a guy have to do around here to make his younger brother listen?"

"Gordon, you could have..."

"But I didn't."

"Gordon..."

"Alan, listen to me. It happens. We all know rescues can go wrong."

"But Dad wouldn't have been mad at you if it wasn't for me."

"Well, I've made him mad at you more than once, and that wasn't your fault. Don't you dare blame this on yourself, Alan Tracy, or I swear I am going to prank you until you are ancient."

"As ancient as you?"

"Now that is more like it. C'mere, I want a hug." Without giving Alan another chance to say anything, Gordon reached around the younger man and pulled him in. For a moment, Alan didn't look like he knew what to do, but eventually relaxed against his brother, the steady heartbeat reassuring him that Gordon was indeed still with them.

Glancing over his brother's head, Gordon caught his father watching them, a loving smile on his face. Holding on for just long enough to know that Alan was alright, Gordon suddenly tightened his grip, moving one arm further down in order to pin Alan's arms to his side, ignoring the muffled protest emerging from his brother. Leaning down until he was level with Alan's ear, Gordon grinned mischievously.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to get you back for that, Sprout." His voice barely audible, Gordon felt his grin widen as Alan froze, before frantically trying to break free of his brother's grip. Pushing him away, Gordon winked, enjoying Alan's nervous swallow.

"Erm, Dad... Can I go _now?_"

"Why? I thought we had agreed you would go in the morning?" Sparing Gordon an almost terrified glance over his shoulder, Alan turned back to his father pleadingly at the predatory look on his brother's face.

"_Please!"_ Following Alan's gaze, Jeff raised his eyebrows at the innocent expression on Gordon's face before glancing back towards Alan's anxious one. Despite not hearing what his son had whispered, Jeff could tell just by Alan's look that revenge had been promised.

"If Scott is feeling up to it and is prepared to be co-pilot, then alright." Normally, Jeff would have held his ground, but he really didn't want the whole house to end up as a war zone. And judging by the look on Gordon's face, he was planning something big. Jeff could only hope that he had forgotten what the idea was by the time Alan came back down to Earth, but something told him he wouldn't be so lucky.

"Thanks, Dad." And so saying, Alan jogged across the room, sending another anxious look back at Gordon, who this time couldn't help but laugh openly. Before Alan could leave the room, however, their father called him back. Not wanting to appear as if he was intruding, Gordon threw himself down on the sofa, sighing deeply and shutting his eyes. He didn't know why, he was just so tired.

"Alan?"

"What's up, Dad?" Alan asked; his voice considerably lighter than the last time he had spoken to his father. The scare of what had happened followed by the subsequent relief had altered something between the two of them, almost as if the argument had been forgotten in order to make place for the concern for Gordon. Jeff knew he had been harsh on his son, but whilst he knew that Alan did need to learn there was a right and wrong time about trying something, his son was not the only one that was carrying guilt over what had happened. After all, Gordon had been constantly trying to blame things on his brothers' for his whole life, yet this time, Jeff had been so prepared to accept Alan's word that he hadn't listened. He knew he had to make sure that didn't happen again, it was not something he had ever really thought about.

Beckoning Alan over, Jeff smiled reassuringly as Alan showed a flicker of concern. As soon as he was in reach, however, Jeff pulled him in close, wrapping his arms around his son and marvelling at just how tall Alan had become. It seemed only yesterday the youngest Tracy had emerged, blinking his blue eyes up at his father and making Jeff's heart melt for the sixth time. Lucille was the first to have made it happen, but then with each new arrival, Jeff had felt his heart swell and swell with the love he had for his boys.

"I love you, Allie," he murmured softly into the blonde hair, pulling away as quickly as he had started the hug, making sure Alan didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Erm... love you too, Dad." To Jeff's amazement, Alan's ears began to burn as he subconsciously ran his hand across the back of his head, avoiding eye contact. Despite his new found maturity, the open expression of affection had Alan reverting straight back to a teenager. Unable to hide his amusement, Gordon attempted to muffle his snort, opening one eye to regard his younger brother.

"Get out of here, Al."

As if worried that Gordon had suddenly remembered his threat, Alan all but bolted from the room. The smile still playing across his mouth, Gordon shut his eye again, only to sit up suddenly as something soft landed over his head. Pulling it off with one hand, he stared in something that could resemble bemusement when he realised that he was now clutching his own jacket.

"What the-?"

"Your friend was worried you would leave it on the bus like you did to Alan." Swivelling around, Gordon frowned in confusion as Scott's head suddenly stuck back around the door. Considering he was still in his uniform, Gordon knew full well that he had not showered as his father had ordered.

"My friend?"

"Small, young, emerged wearing your helmet and jacket."

"Ah, Dee. They all made it out ok?"

"Wait a minute..." Jeff suddenly cut in, making Scott drop his eyes guiltily at the look his father was giving him.

"You gave one of the victims your uniform?"

"It was cold and raining rocks." Gordon responded with a shrug, knowing that his dad wouldn't really mind. As much as he might moan at his boys' for not taking their own safety first, Jeff knew as well as they did that things wouldn't change. It was wonderful in theory telling them to consider their own safety, but out in the field it was different. Especially when the victims were only children.

"And what is this about you leaving Alan on a bus? When did that happen?" Suddenly looking guilty, Gordon glanced towards his big brother, hoping Scott was somehow going to get him out of this, but the older sibling was watching him with raised eyebrows.

"You never told him?"

"It might have slipped my mind."

"Gords, I only didn't say anything because you promised me you would."

"Scott, I'm not ten any more. Dad, hey, guess what? I left Alan on a bus."

"You left Alan on a bus?" Jeff responded slowly, his eyebrows raised in incredulity. Why did that not surprise him? Judging by the look on Scott's face, it had been more than dealt with at the time, and considering Alan had just slipped away up the stairs, there was no lasting damage.

"I don't think I _want_ to know. And as for you, Scott Tracy... why are you not in the shower?"

"Erm..."

"_Now_, Scott!" Gordon found himself hard pushed not to burst out laughing as his older brother jumped and ran up the stairs. The slamming of the bathroom door a few seconds later signalled Scott had indeed dived straight into the shower this time. Trading amused looks with his son, Jeff couldn't remember the last time Scott had actually done what his father had told him, it was not normally required. As Gordon leant back again with a yawn, Jeff felt his smile disappear. The young man was still extremely pale.

"Come on, Gords, Virgil isn't the only one I want in the infirmary."

"Dad, I'm fine."

"Don't give me that, son, you were unconscious only twenty minutes ago."

"There is something I want to do first."

"What?" Groaning, Jeff rolled his eyes as Gordon flashed him that mischievous grin that was so infectious, yet only spelt trouble.

"Base to Thunderbird Five." Gordon suddenly called, his grin growing wider at the apprehensive look his father was giving him.

"Thunderbird Five receiving. Hey, Gords, not been taken prisoner yet?"

"They're trying. Hey, Johnny, can I ask a favour?"

"I don't want to hear this," Jeff declared. "Gordon, infirmary, five minutes, don't make me carry you down." And with that, the father strode from the room. Why did he get the feeling that even escaping the planet was not going to be enough for Alan to avoid his brother's revenge? At least with not being present, Jeff could honestly deny all knowledge and therefore not find it his duty to interfere.

Wandering down to the infirmary, Jeff felt his mind wondering. He knew this route well, too well in fact. It was that which was playing on his mind. How many times after a rescue had the family been sent sprinting for the infirmary? Gordon may be fine, but Jeff knew it would have only had to have taken the other two a few more moments to reach their brother and that would not be the case. Had he made a mistake setting up International Rescue? Was he really that selfless that he would save the world at the cost of his family? Hitting the switch to allow himself access to the spotless hospital beyond, Jeff knew the answer. He always had. But he knew that whilst the boys agreed with him, and always put their brothers first, no matter what, they would not sit back when they knew they could save even one person.

"Hey, Dad." Brought out his musings by a soft voice, Jeff smiled as Virgil hobbled through the door, thankful that at least one of his sons' was still willing to do what his father said, unlike a certain older brother Jeff could mention.

"Up on the bed, Virg, I want it properly looked at."

"Aww, c'mon, Dad, I can do it myself." Virgil moaned, but still found himself hoisting himself up onto the nearest bed anyway. "Don't disturb Brains, I'll sort it."

Rolling up the material once more, Virgil winced slightly as he caught sight of the blood soaked bandage Scott had forced on him at the accident zone. Hearing his father's sharp intake of breath, the artist stuck an unconvincing grin on his face, reaching for the antiseptic with one hand whilst unravelling the bandage with his other.

"Want a hand?" Jeff asked softly, noticing Virgil struggling slightly at juggling both things. At his son's grateful smile, Jeff took the antiseptic from him, pulling out one of the wipes.

"This is going to sting. You ready?"

"Dad. I'm not six with a scraped knee."

"I can pretend," Jeff responded quietly, emotions threatening to bubble to the surface once more. Sensing his father's mood, Virgil didn't say anything, just rolled over so he was lying on his stomach, allowing Jeff access to the wound. Trying to keep his hand steady as he gently wiped the area, Jeff winced in sympathy as Virgil sucked in his breath, attempting to not flinch. Neither said anything as Jeff set about caring for his son.

"Do we need to amputate?" A light voice came calling through, the door opening to reveal two more members of the family. Tying off the fresh bandage and helping Virgil sit up before turning around, Jeff smiled as Scott appeared. He _had_ showered this time, and was leading Gordon in, one arm wrapped around his brother's waist, his other holding Gordon's arm around his shoulders. Judging by the look on the red-head's face, Jeff knew it was less about supporting the younger one, but more about dragging him down.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll live." Jeff responded, his tone just as relaxed. He knew that in all of their cases, it was just a front, they were all just attempting not to crack in front of the others. Guiding Gordon over to the other bed, Jeff gently pushed him down on it, ignoring the protests coming from the young man.

"You are staying in here tonight. If nothing else, it is warmer than your room."

"Gutted, bro." Virgil called over, thankfully glad his father had said it. He hated being the one that was constantly forcing his brothers to stay.

"And so are you, Virgil."

"What?"

"And don't think you can laugh, Scott. As soon as you are back from switching your brothers, I want you back here as well."

"Dad!"

"I don't want to hear any protests. You were all exposed, some more than others, admittedly. I want to keep an eye on you. Besides, you all need a rest."

"Dad, we can't all be in here, what if there is a call out?"

"Scott, the world is going to have to go without the Thunderbirds for one night; their family needs them too much. None of you boys have had enough rest lately; I'm putting my foot down here."

"But Dad-,"

"One more word out of you, Scott, and I'll be co-pilot for Alan and get Brains to administer a sedative again."

Silence met Jeff's statement, the eldest brother pouting in annoyance and making himself look far younger, causing his brothers to trade amused glances. Scott knew full well that his father would make good on that promise, he still hadn't forgiven him for the last time it had happened.

"Scott, you ready, bro?"

"Yes," Scott growled, making Alan raise his eyebrows. As Scott stormed out, Alan set his bag down, gazing quizzically around the rest of the family. Gordon was not looking good, but Alan knew full well that he would be alright, Virgil knew what to do. But the artist too had a pout on his face, and glancing at the stern look his father was wearing, Alan knew instantly what was going on. If all three of them were going to be confined in the infirmary overnight, Alan was glad that he was leaving the planet.

"Safe flight, Sprout," Virgil called over, swinging himself back onto the bed and laying back, admitting defeat to his father's instructions. If he was honest, now that he knew his brother was going to be alright, his own exhaustion had come crashing back down on him, and at this moment in time, his own bed seemed so far away.

"Cheers, Virg. Rest well." Frowning as Gordon silently beckoned him over, Alan crossed the infirmary, coming to a stop next to the aquanaut's bed. Giving them space, Jeff moved away, going over to check on Virgil again.

"Are you alright, Allie?"

"Are you? You are the one that almost died!"

"Alan. Promise me you'll let this go?" His tone uncharacteristically serious, Gordon locked eyes with his younger brother. He was desperately anxious about the kid, no one else seemed to be really noticing how much this had affected him. He knew that whilst they may have been worried, the others were too worked up over what had happened, something he could not deny had been made worse by Alan's actions, in order to smother him in the normal way. It was indeed a hard lesson in growing up he had to go through.

"Let it go? Gords, I made Dad yell at you, and then you nearly _died_. Sorry if I can't just shrug this off. It was my fault." Reaching over as Alan made to turn away, Gordon grasped his brother's hand.

"Do you think I have just shrugged this off, Al? You guys thought I was going to die, heck, do you have any idea what was going through _my_ head? Alan, I was scared. Scared in a way I'd never been before, even after the hydrofoil crash. I knew you guys were there for me on that, but with this... Hell, Alan, I was stuck in the pitch black and freezing cold on my own."

Seeing Alan's eyes fill suddenly with tears, although judging from the way the teenager hastily looked away, Gordon knew he didn't want his brother to see. Gordon wasn't trying to make the younger one upset, though, he was trying to get through to him that this wasn't his fault.

"But I'm over it." At Alan's disbelieving snort, Gordon knew that hadn't come out quite right. "Ok, physically I'm not, and what with Mr Medic and the Paranoid Pilot, they aren't going to let it go for..oohhh... let me see, about six months. But I know that I am safe back with you guys, with my family, and by tomorrow, Scott would have said at least six times that he wished I was still stuck in the cave. Come on, Allie, please? Stop beating yourself up!"

"But..."

"Alan, if you do not stop pitying yourself, I am personally going to make your life hell, as well as telling Scott you are blaming yourself." Staring at his brother in surprise, Alan didn't know what to say in a response to the slightly angry tone in Gordon's voice. Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, not to mention he didn't want to give the prankster any more ammunition, Alan nodded, a small smile making its way onto his face.

"That's better. Go on, go and annoy Scotty for a bit. I'm beat." Lying back, Gordon slipped his hand from his brother's and shut his eyes. That bit certainly hadn't been a lie. In fact, Gordon didn't quite comprehend how tired he was. No sooner had his eyes shut than he was off to the land of dreams.

He didn't hear Thunderbird Three take off, didn't feel his father tuck him properly into bed, monitoring his temperature every few hours. In fact, it wasn't until late into the night that Gordon knew anything at all. Shifting slightly, the red-head peeled his eyes open, knowing that they wanted to stay shut, but something was telling him that he was not alone. Rolling his eyes slightly at the heap of blankets that had been piled on top of him, Gordon grinned when his sight fell on what had woken him.

Slouched in the chair next to the bed, Scott had his feet resting on the end of Gordon's bed, his head resting on his chest as he slept on. Technically, he was complying with his father's instructions, he was in the infirmary, but Gordon knew that wasn't quite what was in Jeff's mind when he had ordered Scott to stay here for the night. That wasn't the only thing, however, that drew the red-head's attention.

His hands clasped behind his back, his posture relaxed, John was gazing out of the infirmary window, his head turned towards the heavens, making Gordon smile. It didn't matter that his brother had only been back on earth for a few hours at the most, he still wanted to be out with the stars.

"Johnny?" Keeping his voice low, Gordon glanced anxiously at Scott, but it just showed how exhausted the field commander was, for he showed no signs of stirring. Turning, John immediately grinned, crossing the room in a few steps and pulling Gordon into a hug.

"You know how to age a guy, don't you, squirt? Sorry if I woke you."

"You were just standing there, how would that wake me?"

"Not just standing," John said, looking somewhat guilty as he glanced towards his hand. Following his gaze, Gordon groaned when he caught sight of the thermometer clutched in it. "And before you say anything, it wasn't my idea. Virgil wanted you closely monitored and Dad agreed. We've been taking it in turns most of the night, the others have finally just agreed to get some rest."

"Don't you need some rest?"

"Dude, this is _me._ Besides, Dad never sends me out on a rescue for the first couple of days back, and I told Alan I was going to be up anyway if he needed me."

"How is he?"

"He'll be alright. But as for you, go on, ice man, get some more sleep."

"Ice man?" To Gordon's amusement, John actually winced, looking away as the back of his neck burnt.

"I couldn't think of anything else."

"We'll make a joker out of you yet, Johnny," Gordon mumbled, his eyes slipping shut even as he spoke. Relaxing into the soft pillows again, Gordon sighed in contentment as he felt John pull the blankets up over him some more, running his hand through his brother's hair as he did so.

"Night, squirt."

"S'night, space man..." Gordon's words, however, were hardly audible, his body giving into sleep even if his mind didn't want too.

TBTBTB

It was morning when Gordon awoke again, glancing around him for a moment before the memories of the previous day came flooding back to him. Shuddering slightly as he remembered all too well the feeling of being stuck in the cave, Gordon sat up quickly, hoping that no one was around to witness his moment of weakness. Scott had moved, although hearing voices floating across the infirmary, Gordon knew his brother had not gotten far. Sure enough, he was sitting on one end of another bed, Virgil opposite him, both brothers in deep conversation. Watching them for a moment with a smile, Gordon then let his eyes flicker around. His dad was nowhere to be seen, but John was examining something over by the far side. As if sensing he was being watched, the blonde suddenly turned, his face splitting into a grin.

"How you feeling, dude?" At John's words, Scott and Virgil also stopped talking, glancing over with smiles that could match their brother's.

"What are you guys looking so happy about?" Gordon muttered, slightly self conscious about the attention he was receiving.

"You gave us a pretty rough night, kiddo. Your temperature was all over the place."

"Oh, sorry."

"GORDON! JOHN!" Sharing a grin with his brother as Scott and Virgil looked confused, Gordon didn't have time to move until Jeff came bursting in. He looked annoyed, but even from the distance he was at, Gordon could see the twinkle in his dad's eye.

"Problem, Dad?" John asked innocently, causing his brother to suddenly realise something. They all maintained that John was the most serious out of them all, but seeing how casually he _didn't _react, Gordon was rethinking that. His older blond brother may actually be the worst out of the lot of them.

"Why is Alan on the comms covered in flour and water?"

"He wanted it to snow?" Gordon asked sweetly, causing Virgil to snort with amusement. Both he and Scott recognised the failed prank. Looked like Gordon wasn't prepared to simply let it go.

"You are going to be the death of me, Gordon Tracy."

"Now, Dad," Gordon began seriously, leaning back comfortably on the bed and winking at John. "There may be a rescue, how would you feel if that was the last thing you said to me?"

As his boys all started laughing, Jeff felt the corners of his mouth twitch. One look at their happy faces, he too quickly found himself joining in. Only a day ago, they were thinking they had lost their brother, and now it was as if nothing had ever happened. Sometimes, miracles really could happen.

**Ta da! The End! Please let me know what you thought? Pretty, pretty please?**


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